


Testing My Patience (Raken/Kenvi Slave AU)

by InkExchange



Category: 4minute (Band), Block B, EXO (Band), GOT7, MYNAME (Band), VIXX, 방탄소년단 | Bangtan Boys | BTS
Genre: I'm Bad At Tagging, Light Bondage, M/M, Master/Slave, Modern items that don't belong in this story, Rape/Non-con Elements, Swearing, non modern
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-06-19
Updated: 2018-03-29
Packaged: 2018-07-15 23:10:31
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 10
Words: 21,946
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7242628
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/InkExchange/pseuds/InkExchange
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Wonshik has always been picky when it comes to slaves. Slaves need to be beautiful, obedient, well trained, and overall perfect. So how did he end up buying an overly cute, rebellious slave with a shitty backstory? Maybe because some part of Wonshik craves a challenge. Or maybe not...</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> WARNING! PLEASE READ  
> This story contains master/slave aspects that involve non consensual topics. Basically, if that sort of thing (non con) offends you, don't read. I'm not trying to be offensive, I just wanted to make a slave AU for these two where Jaehwan is the bottom (because bottom Ken gives me life). 
> 
> Let it be known that I warned you guys! If you're still reading, it's entirely your fault for whatever gets triggered inside you!
> 
> PS: The non-con happens later though. No smut for a while because I like to set the mood.

“Why does this trip always have to take so damn long?” Hakyeon complained. 

 

“We’re almost there” Hongbin said with an irritated sigh. 

 

Wonshik was also a little on the annoyed side. He had been sitting in the carriage with his two friends for over two hours. Though the carriage had comfortable cushions to sit on and plenty of room, the gravelly roads made everyone bump around like ragdolls. Hakyeon’s constant whining didn’t help shorten the voyage either. 

 

But they weren’t going on a long ride for nothing. The three friends were going to a slave house. They had gone to local ones at least once a month but they never found anyone worth buying. It was only after Hakyeon went to a distant house on his own, did he buy a slave. The slave’s name was Leo and Hakyeon basically worshipped the ground the man stood on. 

 

Wonshik understood why Hakyeon had wanted that particular slave. Leo was extremely quiet and well trained, but he also had an icy glare that made him seem more dangerous than he actually was. Wonshik considered buying him from Hakyeon but he already knew that Hakyeon wouldn’t be interested in his offer, no matter the amount. 

 

After seeing Hakyeon’s slave for themselves, Hongbin and Wonshik had begged to go to the same slave house he had gone to, which is where they’re headed to now. 

 

“This place better be good” Hongbin muttered to himself, clearly fed up with the amount of time this was taking. 

 

“Oh I assure you it will be!” Hakyeon enthused, “The house is huge! It’s nothing like the local stores we go to. I almost bought twenty other slaves before I discovered Leo’s presence.”

 

“Really?” Wonshik asked in surprise. 

 

He knew how picky Hakyeon was about everything, even more so when it came to slaves. Not that Hongbin and Wonshik were much better. Hakyeon had one other slave besides Leo, Hongbin had five, and Wonshik had three slaves total. 

 

Wonshik didn’t have any particular interest in his slaves though. They were definitely attractive, but Wonshik refused to touch them in any way. He had them do housework instead, but it left Wonshik feeling lonely in his huge mansion. He was happy that Hakyeon had found his perfect sex slave, but Wonshik and Hongbin weren’t so lucky. He didn’t know what Hongbin was looking for in his slave, but Wonshik needed his to be perfect in every way. 

 

“Yes, really! Their products are absolutely stunning!” Hakyeon replied, “I’d buy another one today, but I’m worried it would make my little Leo jealous.”

 

Wonshik rolled his eyes. It was almost like Leo was the master and Hakyeon was the slave. 

 

“Oh thank goodness we’re here” Hongbin cried out in relief as the carriage rolled to a stop. 

 

Wonshik was the first to exit the carriage and his eyes nearly popped out of his sockets when he took in the building in front of him. The slave houses he was accustomed to weren’t actually houses at all. Some of them were small, worn out buildings but most of them were just auctions held in the market. But the slave house in front of them now was almost as luxurious as the mansion Wonshik called home. The building was made up of pristine white and gray bricks and greek fashioned columns. It was two stories high and a beautiful hedge garden stood in front of the slave house. 

 

Wonshik stared agape at the sight before him and he could hear Hakyeon chuckling next to him. 

 

“See what I mean?” he said with a smile. 

 

Wonshik quickly composed himself and glanced at Hongbin who was looking at the Mansion with wide eyes. The three of them then made their way into the large doors of the building. They were then greeted by a man wearing a red silk robe patterned with white flowers. His hair was almost white with streaks of blue and pink and his eyelids were painted a red to match his clothing. Even though they were of the same orientation, Wonshik couldn’t help but find the man exotic. 

 

“Welcome to Jellyfish House” he said, “How can we serve you today?” 

 

Wonshik and Hongbin were lost for words, so instead Hakyeon answered, “We’re here to browse the newest merchandise.”

 

The man shot a knowing grin at Hakyeon, “Ah, you were satisfied with your last product then?”

 

Hakyeon nodded at the man in a friendly manner that even Wonshik wasn’t familiar with. The man laughed loudly as he made a signal with his hand in the air. Almost instantly another man with blond hair appeared. He was wearing a plain black robe, but long necklaces of silver and gold hung from his neck to show off his wealth. 

 

“Kyung will take you to the viewing room” the man in red said, gesturing to the other with a mischievous look on his face. 

 

Wonshik was starting to get even more confused by the second and he nudged Hakyeon as they started to follow Kyung down a long hallway. “What’s going on?” he asked. 

 

Hakyeon shrugged, “When I came here last time the guy at the front helped me choose a slave. His name is Zico by the way. Anyway, he wasn’t the least bit bothered by how picky I was and he was super smug after I bought Leo. I guess he still remembers me.” 

 

“What else do they do here anyway? Why is this place so big?” Hongbin whispered.

 

“They have rooms where you can buy out a slave for temporary services upstairs. And before you ask, I did not do that when I was here. I think they have gambling and entertainment here as well but I’m not really sure” Hakyeon explained in a low voice. 

 

“Here we are” Kyung said after stopping in front of a door at the end of the hall. The door was bright red with a white rose painted on it. Kyung opened the door and they walked in, leaving Kyung to shut the door behind them. 

 

The room was huge, with red and black walls, and brightly lit by glorious golden chandeliers. Booths filled the room where slave owners had their products on display. Other nobles walked around the room, inspecting the wares with a certain fascination. Wonshik spotted an old woman at one of the booths where she was having the owner undress a male slave for her to further inspect. She oogled his nakedness, not trying to hide her perverse nature in the least, but no one seemed to care. 

 

“This is amazing!” Hongbin exclaimed. 

 

Wonshik had to agree. Even though he hadn’t looked at any of the slaves yet, he admitted that the slave house was exquisite. Hakyeon giggled excitedly as he skipped over to the booth nearest them. The booth was adorned with colorful cushions where a dozen female slaves sat in seductive positions. They all wore white dresses of an almost see through material. Wonshik stared at them impressed. Every girl there was beautiful. 

 

“Are you interested?” the owner at the booth asked the three. 

 

Hakyeon looked at the man with a smile, “They are all so beautiful. Where did you get them?” 

 

The owner grinned at the question, “They were from a small village in the east, the prettiest ones there. Not to worry though! They are virgins and fully trained to be slaves by yours truly.”

 

Hakyeon turned to Hongbin and Wonshik, “So?” 

 

Hongbin frowned, “I’m not really looking for a woman.”

 

Wonshik shook his head. He didn’t mind which gender he bought, but he didn’t want to pick someone at the first booth. Hakyeon bowed apologetically to the owner, saying that they’d come back later, and then they continued to search. 

 

After a while, Wonshik started to realize that the slave house was a little too good. At the old houses, every slave was mediocre, so a beauty was instantly purchased. But at Jellyfish House, every slave was beautiful so no one really stood out. Wonshik was almost certain that he wouldn’t buy someone at this point.

 

“Excuse me” Hongbin said to a owner as they came across another booth, “Could you tell me about this one?” 

 

Hongbin was referring to a tall young man with light blond hair. He was standing in the back of the booth, wearing a black tunic. Wonshik didn’t see much in him, but Hongbin was definitely interested. As the owner started to talk about the slave, Wonshik turned to Hakyeon.

 

“I’m going to keep going.”

 

Hakyeon made an ‘okay’ sign and Wonshik walked away from the booth. He continued to study the slaves without getting too close. He didn’t want the owners to think he was wanting to buy when he wasn’t. 

 

It wasn’t until the very last booth that Wonshik finally stopped. This one was different. The slave owner stood patiently in front of a tall glass cage. There were breathing holes at the very top and inside a collection of blue, purple, yellow, and red flowers almost completely hid the slave within. He was beautiful. His skin was a pearly white and his brown hair was tousled sexilly. His eyes were closed, with long lashes twitching in his slumber. He wore a low cut black shirt and matching pants. Wonshik’s eyes rested on the slave’s full lips, slightly parted and pink, and then travelled down to his long neck. He imagined what he would like with a collar around the smooth expanse of skin there. 

 

“What’s his information?” Wonshik kindly asked the woman working the booth. 

 

She was probably in her fifties with her black hair pulled back in a bun. She turned to Wonshik with a genuinely sweet smile on her wrinkled lips. 

 

“Hello sir” she greeted before answering his question, “This one is 24 years old and healthy. He was first a servant under the king and then taken to be trained at the age 18. I received him two years ago. He is very well mannered and he has quite the personality.”

 

Wonshik was astonished to hear that the man had worked for the king before becoming a slave. He was even more taken aback when she told him that he had a personality. During the training process, the slaves were taught to lose their personality completely. They were taught to become the living embodiment of their master’s desires. He did however, like the idea of owning someone that was older than him. 

 

“What was he trained for?” 

 

The woman squinted at the question as if she didn’t quite understand, “Well, I’m not really sure of the specifics behind his training. When I tell him to do something he does it though.”

 

Wonshik wasn’t pleased to hear the woman’s explanation. She must not know how slaves work. 

 

“Why do you only have one?” 

 

“I only take a few slaves at a time. I get very attached you see” she explained with a small giggle, “This one is quite special in my heart. I refused to put him up for sale until I sold off the others.”

 

“And he’s allowed to sleep while he’s on display?” Wonshik asked in a sour tone. 

 

The woman didn’t spare a glance at the cage as she replied, “He isn’t sleeping my lord. He closes his eyes so he doesn’t have to watch as customers stare at him. My flower is of the shy variety.” 

 

Wonshik looked back to the slave with interest in his eyes. The slave had the woman wrapped around his finger. Wonshik knew that he would be a rebellious slave, even if he had been trained by the best of the best. Wonshik placed a hand on the glass possessively, “How much is he?” 

 

The woman looked into the cage with worried eyes, “He’s 500,000 pieces.”

 

Wonshik nearly choked at the price. The amount alone was more than triple the cost of his three slaves combined. His slaves were perfectly trained as well, and this one clearly wasn’t. 

 

“As I said before, I get a little too attached to my belongings” she said, expecting Wonshik to walk away. 

 

Instead, Wonshik dug out his wallet. Handing her the amount without even trying to lower the price. The woman took the money reluctantly and Wonshik noticed that from behind the glass, the slave’s brown eyes were open and glaring daggers into Wonshik. 

 

Wonshik smiled deviously at him, causing the older male to close his eyes indifferently. A spark of anger flared inside of Wonshik at the lack of respect, but he decided to let it go for now. 

 

“Let me say goodbye to him first” the woman said and Wonshik walked away  a little bit so that he didn’t intrude on their conversation. 

 

She went to the back of the cage, where all of the flowers were attached, and opened a door there. The slave rose to his feet without being ordered to and faced the woman. Wonshik watched as the two hugged each other. She whispered something into the slave’s ear that made him smile and whisper something back. 

 

Wonshik found the man even more beautiful when the corners of his mouth turned upward into a loving smile. He yearned to see the same smile directed towards him in the future. 

 

The woman then escorted the slave to Wonshik. The slave walked in a way that oozed power. It must have been a trait he acquired from working with the king when he was younger. Wonshik added that to the list of things he would have to fix. 

 

“This is your new master now” the woman told the slave with watery eyes.

 

“Master Wonshik” he told the slave, who was still too busy watching the woman next to him. 

 

The woman pulled a black choker with a silver design in the center. She lifted it to the slave’s neck but Wonshik stopped her.

 

“May I?” 

 

The woman seemed startled and the slave refused to look at Wonshik, but he seemed to tense. She hesitantly handed the choker over to Wonshik.

 

“Turn to face me” Wonshik ordered the slave in a strict voice. Normally he would try to be nicer in the beginning but he knew this slave wasn’t going to adjust well anyway. He would need to get across who was the master and who was the slave in their relationship as quickly as possible. 

 

The slave closed his eyes as he turned to face Wonshik. 

 

“Open your eyes” he ordered again, “I want you to see me.”

 

The slave opened his eyes slowly, his gaze seeming to challenge Wonshik in some way. The younger male felt satisfied enough by the action though, and put the choker on his slave. His fingers brushed against his neck gently and he could feel the man tense even more at the touch. 

 

“Woah! You got a slave too!?” Hongbin’s excited voice rang out as he ran up to them. 

 

Wonshik turned to Hongbin, seeing Hakyeon and the slave from before there too.

 

“Yeah. This one was too cute for me to resist” Wonshik replied, knowing that his slave was annoyed by the compliment. 

 

Hakyeon nodded his head in agreement, “Hongbin said the same thing about his.”

 

“Can we go back home now!? I can’t wait to get some alone time with my slave!” Hongbin asked gleefully.

 

“Yeah, let’s get going. The ride back is going to be awful” Hakyeon added. 

 

Wonshik nodded and his friends started walking away immediately. Wonshik didn’t want to get left behind so he started going after them fast, but he soon realized that his slave wasn’t following. 

 

“Follow me” Wonshik demanded as calmly as possible, not wanting to cause a scene in the fancy building. 

 

The slave did nothing.

 

Wonshik grit his teeth in frustration as he pointed at the ground expectantly. The slave continued to stay where he was. 

 

“Come. Here.” 

 

The slave raised his hand to ear as if he didn’t quite catch what the lord had said.

 

“COME HERE NOW!” Wonshik shouted to the slave.

 

Everyone in the slave house stopped what they were doing to stare at the scene unfolding in front of them. The slave gave a satisfied nod at the shout and made his way over to Wonshik with a smile on his face. 

 

Wonshik had just been played. 

 

The entire time Wonshik had been trying to establish that he was the master, but his slave had just made him embarrass himself in front of so many people. Once his slave was close enough he grabbed him by the wrist and pulled him out of the building.

 

He met his friends at the carriage. They were already inside the cushioned space in the middle of a conversation.

 

“What took so long?” Hongbin asked when the two arrived. 

 

“It doesn’t matter” Wonshik answered as he dragged the slave into the carriage with him, “What are you talking about?”

 

“Hongbin was asking me what he should name his new pet” Hakyeon said.

 

“Yeah, I’m really bad at picking out names” Hongbin added.

 

“I asked Leo what name he wanted” Hakyeon told Hongbin.

 

“Oh? Good Idea!” Hongbin exclaimed and then turned to the slave, “What would you like your name to be?”

 

The slave’s eyes remained on the floor of the carriage, as he had not been told to make eyes contact, but his soft response still came, “I like the name Hyuk, master.”

 

“Hyuk” Hongbin tested the name out for size, “I like it! Good choice!”

 

“What about yours?” Hakyeon asked Wonshik. 

 

Wonshik could think of a few suitable names for his slave, like asshole, prick, and jerk. He knew that his friends wouldn’t like that answer though so he begrudgingly turned to his own slave. 

 

“What would you like your name to be?” 

 

The slave stared back into his eyes defiantly, “Ken.”

 

Wonshik wanted to scold Ken so bad in that moment but he didn’t have the courage to do it in front of his friends so he folded his arms across his chest and sat in silence as his other two friends talked. 

  
After another hour he heard Hakyeon’s voice interrupt his thoughts, “Why does this trip always have to take so damn long?”


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Wonshik arrives at his home with his new slave and introduces him to his other pets.

When Wonshik got back to his manor after dropping off his friends, the only thing he wanted to do was punish his slave. However, even though he knew that he had to properly train Ken, he still needed to work in some form of trust and respect first. 

 

Stepping through his front doors with Ken walking a few feet behind him, he decided that he would introduce him to his other slaves. Wonshik led Ken past the great hall and into the servants quarters. 

 

Wonshik rang a silver bell attached to the wall and waited patiently for his pets to emerge from their rooms. Wonshik, Hongbin, and Hakyeon were rare in the fact that they spoiled their slaves unlike most masters. He hoped that Ken would start behaving soon so that he wouldn’t have to be too cruel with the pretty male. 

 

In unison, three doors opened in the hallway. The slaves stepped out and formed a line wordlessly. Indeed, they trained very well. 

 

“Stay here” Wonshik instructed Ken and then made his way down the line. Bambam was the first slave in the line, and also the first slave that Wonshik had bought. He was slender with long legs and black hair. He was wearing a black suit and pink choker studded with diamonds. Bambam was very cute in Wonshik’s eyes and a rare find, seeing as he was taken from Thailand. He was a little rebellious when he was first purchased but he soon learned his place. After owning the male for a few years, he discovered how high maintenance the slave was. Wonshik made sure to buy him the newest fashions to keep him in a good mood, even though it wasn’t required of him. 

 

The second in the line was a gorgeous slave girl wearing a white, flowing gown and a silver choker. The simplicity of the clothes complimented her overpowering beauty. Her hair was light brown with waves that reached her lower back. Her name was Gayoon and she was extremely tempting. Wonshik thought that the girl was too pure to use sexually though, so he allowed her to be his maid instead. 

 

The last slave in the line was a petite male with owl like eyes and dark red hair. He had the same attire as Bambam with a red choker, but Kyungsoo never cared how expensive his clothes were. Kyungsoo wasn’t as obedient as Gayoon or as childish as Bambam, but he did have a bit of a temper at times. Luckily, Wonshik usually wasn’t the one that the slave was angered by. In fact, he found it somewhat amusing when Kyungsoo would fight with his other slaves since he seemed the most delicate of the three. 

 

After inspecting his slaves he smiled kindly at them, “As you may have noticed, I recently purchased a new slave. His name is Ken and I would like the three of you to show him around and tell him the rules of my household. I’ll be in my study and I will not require his presence until nightfall. Thank you.”

 

After addressing his slaves he made his way to his study. He had a lot of work to do. It would be nice if he could have some company after his efforts, but he would give Ken some time to adjust first. 

 

\----------------

 

After Wonshik left the room, the atmosphere in the hall changed entirely. The slaves relaxed their posture and turned to Ken with excited smiles. It made him uncomfortable. 

 

“You’re very handsome” Gayoon said, stepping up to him and taking his hands in hers, “Your skin is softer than mine!” 

 

“Woah really!?” Bambam exclaimed as he caressed Ken’s face suddenly. 

 

Ken jumped back in surprise. He wasn’t used to being touched by strangers and he was feeling flustered from the compliments. If Gayoon and Bambam were hurt by his reaction, it didn’t show. 

 

Bambam turned to Gayoon with bright eyes, “Wow! You were right! He feels like a baby!” 

 

“You guys are freaking him out” Kyungsoo told the two. 

 

Neither of them payed the smaller male any attention though. Kyungsoo rolled his eyes and pushed past them.

 

“My name is Kyungsoo and these idiots are Bambam and Gayoon” Kyungsoo told Ken in a deep voice that didn’t quite fit his cute image, “I’m sure you know that the master’s name is Wonshik. What’s your name?” Even though they already knew his name, it felt more polite to ask the newcomer himself.

 

“Ken” he replied, thankful that at least one of the slaves was a bit normal. 

 

“Have you ever been owned before?” Bambam asked out of nowhere.

 

“No.”

 

“Did he say what he bought you for?” Gayoon questioned.

 

“No.”

 

“Did he tell you anything?” Kyungsoo wondered aloud.

 

Ken shook his head, “He told me his name and to follow him.”

 

“That’s it?” 

 

Ken shrugged, “I don’t think he likes me very much.”

 

“Why would he buy you if he didn’t like you?” Gayoon retorted. 

 

“He bought me before he met me” Ken explained, “I’m not very good at first impressions.”

 

“Geez! You’re so serious! What did you do to make him hate you?” Bambam said with his hands on his hips. 

 

Ken laughed at the memory. Seeing Wonshik so embarrassed and mad all at once was great. He was a little scared after the fact though. He was almost positive that his new master would have punished him.  

 

“Be careful” Kyungsoo warned, “Wonshik won’t hesitate to punish you. He might have let you off easy this time, but in the future...”

 

Ken rolled his eyes. He wasn’t going to let anyone boss him around, especially someone who had a temper tantrum in the middle of a slave house. “Just tell me about the so called rules.”

  
Bambam giggled, “I like this one! He has spunk!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks again for all of the comments, kudos, etc.! It motivates me to keep writing! <3


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ken and Wonshik have another power struggle.

After getting a tour of most of the mansion and getting told the basic rules that Wonshik had for his slaves, Ken was stuck listening to Gayoon, Kyungsoo, and Bambam chat for hours. Apparently, they had a lot of free time. 

 

During their conversation, they would ask Ken questions, wanting to know where he was from and the like. He would always find some way to redirect the talk away from him though. It’s not that he didn’t like them. He thought they were all really nice and helpful, minus a few annoying qualities here and there. Ken kept quiet because his life story wasn’t a happy one. 

 

He couldn’t tell anyone about his past either. It was a complicated mess that no one, not even Wonshik, would entirely understand. 

 

Saying something could endanger his life and those around him. 

 

So after the three gave up on getting Ken into the conversation, he got to listen to them instead. He was starting to get a good idea of each of their personalities from observing them for so long. For example, Gayoon and Bambam loved to gossip. They shared a lot of “scandalous” information with each other about the lords and ladies that had met with Wonshik in the past. The information wasn’t incredibly interesting though. 

 

At one point they got into a discussion about Hakyeon’s new tea set possibly being from China and not from France like he had claimed. 

 

Ken appreciated their constant chatter more than Kyungsoo’s awkward silence though. He didn’t mind that the smaller slave was so quiet. It was the way Bambam and Gayoon almost seemed scared of him that made him uncomfortable. 

 

“Oh! It’s getting dark!” Gayoon suddenly pointed out. 

 

At first, everyone seemed confused by the comment, but then Kyungsoo spoke up too. 

 

“Wonshik wanted you to see him at nightfall” he reminded Ken. 

 

Ken started to feel uneasy. He didn’t know if he liked Wonshik as a person or not, but he definitely didn’t like being treated like property. Ken wasn’t used to being touched by strangers and the idea of punishment wasn’t very comforting. 

 

“He’s probably still in his study. I’ll take you there” Gayoon said. 

 

She started walking away before anyone could say anything else and Ken had to speed walk to catch up to her. 

 

“Are you nervous?” She asked him while they walked through the halls. 

 

“How couldn’t I be?” 

 

She giggled at the remark as they stopped in front of one of the many doors. Her demeanor got a bit more serious as she turned to face him. “Listen, I know it’s hard to get used to the idea of being someone’s slave, but you need to adapt quickly. Wonshik is nice to us when we obey, but he has a quick temper. Just... try to be polite at least.”

 

The almost desperate look on her face was enough to make Ken reconsider his behavior around Wonshik. She seemed genuinely worried for his well being, and he wasn’t sure if his pride was worth maintaining at this point. He might actually have to fall in line sooner than he had hoped, which he hoped would be never. 

 

“I’ll try” Ken replied weakly, not making any promises.

 

“Ok. Good luck” she said, clearly relieved by his response.

 

Once Gayoon had retreated back down the hall, Ken turned towards the door. He didn’t want to go inside, and he really didn’t want to have to encounter his “master”. 

 

‘ _ I could just run away and never come back _ ’ he thought, but even he knew he couldn’t. He had nowhere to go and people would go hunting for him if he ran. He would be punished if he was found and besides, he had a promise to keep. 

 

He reached out a trembling hand and opened the door.

 

The room was spacious, with bookshelves on the side walls, and a desk near the window on the back wall. Wonshik was sitting at the desk, facing the door. He seemed to be writing on something, but when Ken entered the room his head lifted from the papers to look at him instead.

 

Before their eyes could meet, Ken looked down at the floor. If he was going to try being obedient he had to remember what the trainers had taught him. 

 

‘ _ I can’t look at anyone higher ranked without the master’s permission. _ ’

 

“It’s good to see you” Wonshik greeted.

 

Ken didn’t answer and continued looking at the carpet below. Even if the rules allowed him to speak openly, he wouldn’t know what to say. Maybe if he didn’t pull the stunt at the slave house things would be easier.

 

“Are you actually being respectful now? Or maybe you think I wanted you here to punish you for earlier” the younger male said in a mocking tone. 

 

Ken had to bite his tongue to stop himself from snapping at him. He was almost positive he wasn’t going to be punished tonight so he knew Wonshik was trying to get him riled up. 

 

“You can relax. I just want to talk” Wonshik explained, “Look at me and speak when it seems obvious.”

 

Ken raised his head slowly and kept a straight face. He didn’t need to let his “master” know he was nervous or irritated. 

 

Wonshik watched him with a pleased grin, which only irritated him more. 

 

“I want to get to know you” Wonshik stated his intention.

 

Confusion took over the slave. Most slave owners didn’t give two shits about their slave’s feelings or past lives. All that mattered was if they could do their jobs. 

 

“Tell me some things about yourself.”

 

“You already have my information” Ken told him, referring to the folder the woman at the slave house gave to him. It was full of papers documenting his age, height, weight, appearance, where he was from, experience, as well as proof of ownership.

 

“I want to hear it from you” Wonshik replied, smiling without a care in the world. 

 

“I was the king’s servant before I became a slave. I have brown hair and brown eyes. I am 24 years old. My name is Ken.” he listed some facts about himself that Wonshik obviously already knew. Again, he wasn’t comfortable talking about himself. 

 

Wonshik sighed in annoyance, which made Ken light up a little, “Tell me something I don’t know.”

 

The brunet thought for a minute, wondering what he could share about himself that wasn’t too personal. Finally it dawned on him. 

 

“I have talents” he said with a smug look. 

 

Wonshik visibly perked up at the words, though Ken didn’t really know why. “What kind of talents?”

 

“I can sound like a mosquito.”

 

“What?” Wonshik asked in wonder. 

 

Immediately, Ken started making a small buzzing sound with his mouth. He let the buzzing get louder and quieter as if there was a bug flying all over the room. After a few seconds, he started walking to the nearest wall and then suddenly slapped it and stopped making the noise, as if he’d squashed the bug. He looked back to Wonshik with a small smile, only to see the master had a stunned expression.

 

He let his hand slide down and off the wall, but stayed standing next to it. “Pretty cool right?” 

 

Wonshik fake coughed, “Anyway, the woman that sold you to me said that she didn’t know much about your training or why you became a slave. I was wondering if you could tell me about that side of you.”

 

“I couldn’t serve the king anymore and I was taken by slave hunters when I was on the road. I was trained for a while but I don’t remember that much of it” Ken answered, coming up with a suitable lie. 

 

“Why couldn’t you serve the king? Did you do something wrong?”

 

“ _ I _ didn’t do anything wrong” Ken said a little too defensively. 

 

“Then why did you give up a job like that?” 

 

“Why does it matter?” 

 

Wonshik’s eyes narrowed at the question, “Because I’m your master and I’m telling you to give me an explanation.”

 

Ken couldn’t hold back a laugh at the statement. He couldn’t take the younger male serious. He was too easy to mess with and he wasn’t very intimidating either. Even if Wonshik tried to punish him, he was probably too weak to overpower Ken. 

 

Suddenly, Ken was shoved against the wall behind him, his head and back slamming against the surface painfully. There was an arm pressing against his collarbone to keep him pinned. Ken didn’t see the master coming, he was too busy laughing at the time. 

 

“What’s so funny?” Wonshik asked, deadly serious. 

 

Ken pushed the feeling of pain away and tried struggling against Wonshik. The pressure on his collarbone was almost unbearable and the arm started to slide closer to his neck. The last thing he needed was an arm choking him, so he tried to force the limb away. His fingers gripped the arm and desperately attempted to pull it off of him.

 

Ken flinched when a fist was aimed, full force, into the wall only centimeters away from his face. He froze and stared at Wonshik with wide, frightened eyes. He was sure he must look like a trapped animal at that point. In the end, Wonshik  _ was _ the stronger of the two.  

 

“Don’t make me ruin that pretty face of yours” Wonshik threatened.

 

He let his hands fall to his sides in defeat. 

 

“Now why were you laughing?”

 

“I was overcome with joy” Ken lied, but the look on Wonshik’s face was enough to get him to tell the truth. “You seemed like a brat more than you did a master.”

 

“And why’s that?” 

 

“When you don’t get your way, you act like a little kid. It’s not very intimidating.”

 

“I’m not intimidating?” Wonshik asked, leaning in a little closer to Ken’s face, his arm digging a little harder into his chest. 

 

“You weren’t. Now you are. I’m sorry.” Ken corrected himself, turning his head to the side to try to distance himself from Wonshik, gasping from the pain. 

 

“Do you want to make it up to me?” 

 

Ken nodded his head with his eyes tightly shut. Maybe Wonshik would ask him to do a quick favor and let him go. Honestly, he didn’t care as long as he didn’t get hurt. 

 

“Do you want to know what I bought you for?” Wonshik asked as he trailed his fingers down Ken’s jawline and to his collar. He gave the collar a small tug and grinned at the whimper the slave made. “I wanted you to be my sex slave.”

 

Ken’s head snapped back to face Wonshik, shock written all over his face. “Sex slave!?” 

 

He hummed his confirmation and brought his fingers to Ken’s head, playing with his silky hair. “I was going to give you some time to adjust, but you’re too stubborn” he explained, pulling down on his hair to guide him to his knees. 

 

“I’m not stubborn! I won’t be!” Ken looked up at Wonshik with puppy dog eyes. 

 

“Then prove it” Wonshik ordered, moving Ken’s head closer to his crotch. 

 

Ken started pushing against the hands. He knew what Wonshik wanted him to do and it gave him some of his fight back. “Please! I can’t do this!” he pleaded. 

 

Wonshik quirked an eyebrow, “Why not?”

 

Ken looked up at the master with hopeful eyes. Maybe he could talk his way out of this. “I was never trained in anything sexual” he explained truthfully, “I don’t know how to pleasure you, and I don’t want to pleasure someone I barely even know.”

 

Wonshik brought his hands away from Ken, giving him his full attention. “What are you suggesting?”

 

Ken gulped nervously. “If you give me some time to get used to you, even without any experience, I can make you enjoy it more. Maybe I’d enjoy it too.” he tried to come up with a reasonable agreement.

 

He knew he was never going to want to do anything sexual with Wonshik, but he at least wanted to come to terms with what he was going to be doing as a slave. His pride was going to be permanently damaged. 

 

“Alright.”

 

Ken was surprised to hear Wonshik agree with his suggestion. Part of him thought he was joking.

 

“I don’t want to force you any more than I must already. So, if you can behave well enough, I’ll give you a week to prepare” Wonshik stated.

 

“Thank you.”

 

Wonshik smiled and rustled Ken’s hair playfully before walking towards the door, “I’m going to go to bed now. Good night.”

 

Ken waited for Wonshik to leave the room and then rose to his feet. He would have fought tooth and nail at the slave house had he known this was what he was bought for. 

  
‘ _ I’m so fucked. _ ’

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What could Ken be hiding about his past!? Will he make it a week without pissing his master off!? Stay tuned!
> 
> This story is taking a weird turn into something I wasn't expecting. I had to change my idea of what was going to happen down the road in order to make the story more realistic too. The future might shock some of you. It shocked me. 
> 
> Anyway, I hope you liked it!


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ken's second day as Wonshik's slave begins.

When Ken opened his eyes, he was not expecting to see Bambam’s face only centimeters away from his. The younger slave was standing at the side of his bed, towering over him and giving him an intense stare. 

 

Ken jolted into a sitting position, scooting away from him in surprise. 

 

“What are you doing here?!” he asked, baffled as to why the other would intrude into his bedroom. 

 

“How did you sleep?” Bambam questioned with an innocent smile. 

 

The older suspected that Bambam came to him for a different reason entirely, but decided to go along with the charade. “Not very well.” It wasn’t a lie, unfortunately. Even though his bed was lordly in quality, his stress was too much to ignore. Ken couldn't get over the fact that he belonged to another person now. The feeling only worsened after Wonshik revealed to him what his purpose was going to be. 

 

He couldn’t even count how many nightmares he had that night, and every time he’d wake up, he’d realize that he was living a nightmare too. 

 

“I guess that’s understandable,” Bambam said. 

 

“So what did you and the master discuss last night?” 

 

Ken jumped at Gayoon’s sudden question. He hadn’t noticed that she was in the room too, standing anxiously by the door. Judging by Bambam’s reaction to the question, that was what the two  _ really _ wanted to know. 

 

He looked down at his covers, his fingers fidgeting nervously. He didn’t want to think too much about the conversation he had last night. He hated that Wonshik was able to overpower him, rendering him helpless. However, he felt that the slaves deserved an explanation since they were starting to become friends. . 

 

“He wanted to learn more about me.”

 

“I thought as much. He was curious about our pasts and personalities too,” Gayoon said, “Did anything else happen?”

 

“I’m supposed to be...” Ken started, hesitating to finish his sentence.

 

“Be what?” they asked in unison. 

 

“His sex slave” he admitted in a barely audible whisper. 

 

“Holy shit! It’s happening! It’s finally happening!” Bambam exclaimed, mostly to himself, in excitement and awe. 

 

Gayoon, on the other hand, looked extremely worried. She must have understood his feelings on the matter more than Bambam, if he even acknowledged them at all. 

 

“I was starting to think Wonshik was celibate or something! I mean, he didn’t want to fuck Kyungsoo, Gayoon, or I and we’re pretty damn hot! But now he’s finally found the one!” 

 

Ken grimaced at the words. His predicament was not a happy or desired one so he didn’t want to listen to Bambam talk about how  _ lucky _ he was to be Wonshik’s sex slave. 

 

Gayoon cleared her throat awkwardly, “Bambam calm down. He doesn’t seem as thrilled as you are.”

 

Finally, the slave took in Ken’s mortified expression and silenced himself. He bowed his head apologetically and back away from the bed. 

 

“What are you two even doing here? What time is it?”

 

“We already finished cleaning most of the manor,” she replied, “It’s around noon.”

 

Ken threw the covers off of himself and jumped to his feet in a sudden panic. There was no way Wonshik would have allowed him to sleep in so late, and the last thing he wanted was to be punished! 

 

“Why didn’t anyone wake me up sooner!?” he asked in a shrill voice. 

 

“Woah! Don’t worry! You aren’t in trouble.”

 

Gayoon nodded in confirmation, “Wonshik went out around dawn with Kyungsoo.”

 

“What? Where did he go?” 

 

Bambam shrugged, “He didn’t really say. But you didn’t do anything wrong so you can relax.”

 

Ken shut his eyes in annoyance, “I can’t believe him!”

 

“Why are you angry?” 

 

“You guys obey him so well, but he doesn’t even respect you enough to tell you what he’s doing and where he’s going? He’s such a selfish prick!” 

 

“It’s okay, Ken. We don’t mind.”

 

Ken shook his head in disbelief, “How could you not!? How are you so easy-going about everything!?”

 

“Wonshik treats us nicer than most slave owners would and you want us to hate him for it?” Bambam asked with narrowed eyes. 

 

“How can you talk about yourselves being slaves so nonchalantly? Don’t you have any self-respect!? How could you be okay with being that brat’s property!?” Ken demanded an answer to his onslaught of questions. All of his stress and rage he had bottled up for so long was finally bursting out of him. He didn’t mean to verbally attack Bambam and Gayoon, but he was too overwhelmed to properly think about what he was saying. 

 

Luckily, Wonshik wasn’t around to hear any of this. 

 

All of a sudden, a sharp sting pierced Ken’s cheek, whipping his head to the side in shock. 

 

Gayoon had slapped him. 

 

He turned back to her with wide eyes, a hand cupping the flushed skin of his cheek. 

 

“Don’t act like you’re above us!” she spat at him, “You have no idea what we’ve been through so stop making assumptions!” After she finished her sentence, Gayoon spun around on her heel and left the room. 

 

Bambam glared at Ken one last time, before scurrying after the female. 

 

Ken sat back down on his bed, hunched forward and facing the floor. When his life had been destroyed years ago, he never thought he could fall any lower. Now, he was starting to see how wrong he had been. 

 

\----------------

 

Wonshik lounged on Hongbin’s lavish sofa, a cup of Earl Grey in his hand. He took a sip of the steamy liquid as he tuned in and out of a conversation some of his friends were having. 

 

Hongbin was sitting in a wooden seat opposite the sofa with Chanyeol sitting in an identical chair next to him. Hakyeon was lounging beside Wonshik on the sofa, his limbs sprawled out so that he hogged most of the cushions and Kris was on the other side of him. 

 

Chanyeol was a lord, or baron, like Wonshik, Hakyeon, and Hongbin. He had short black hair, brown eyes, pale skin, large ears, and a tall frame. Wonshik had only seen him on a few occasions and they had exchanged barely any words. He seemed nice enough, but Wonshik never understood why he was always in a good mood. 

 

Kris was a viscount. He was a rank higher than them with double the land and wealth. He was friends with Chanyeol and Hongbin. Wonshik had never seen the man before, but he’d heard stories about Kris. Apparently, he was a cruel man that liked to humiliate anyone from his slaves to those that were nobler than him. 

 

Wonshik was both disappointed and relieved that Kris didn’t live up to his reputation. The viscount was taller than Chanyeol with dirty blond hair, brown eyes, and prominent eyebrows. He looked intimidating but he was just a clumsy dork. 

 

“The king is going to lose a lot of support if he raises  _ our _ taxes,” Hakyeon started. 

 

“He’s too old to be ruling if you ask me,” Hongbin said, “He should pass his crown onto one of his three heirs. Maybe they’ll  _ know _ how to lead.”

 

Kris scoffed at the statement, “One of those heirs died, remember? That’s probably why he’s being so ruthless with us. The rumor is a noble murdered the prince and since he can’t find the killer, he’s going to punish all of us with taxes.”

 

Wonshik rolled his eyes at the political conversation. They were rich enough to handle the change in taxes and he didn’t care about the royal family’s issues. 

 

He glanced down to the floor, where Kyungsoo was kneeling on a pillow at the foot of the couch. His eyes were downcast and his hands were resting on his thighs obediently. Wonshik was satisfied with his slave’s behavior, especially after the encounter with his rebellious slave the previous night. 

 

Hongbin owned six slaves in total, but only one was present. It was his tan skinned male with black hair and brown eyes. He was wearing all white and sitting in the same position as Kyungsoo; however, his eyes were peeking at Wonshik’s slave. 

 

He had a habit of bringing Kyungsoo to any social events that the tan slave attended. He knew the two had a certain fondness for each other and it amused Wonshik. Sometimes they’d get the chance to talk to each other and Wonshik would stare at Kyungsoo, observing him. It was unusual to see the owlish man smile, but not so rare when he was around the other slave. 

 

Hakyeon had Leo with him. The blond was standing at the lord’s side. It was an odd sight, but he supposed Hakyeon had allowed it. His feline like eyes were mesmerizing and Wonshik had to stop himself from staring. It was disrespectful to stare at someone else’s property, though people liked to flaunt their slaves anyway. 

 

Chanyeol brought along a small male slave with chestnut hair. Wonshik almost mistook him for a girl, but after closer inspection, he was definitely a male. Chanyeol must have had a lot of affection for him as he kept brushing his fingers through the slave’s glossy hair. The slave would inch closer to Chanyeol each time and Wonshik wondered if Ken would ever act that way with him. 

 

He shook the thought from his head as he looked at Kris. Wonshik had expected to see a slave with him but then he remembered that Kris didn’t bring one. 

 

“Is there something on my face?” Kris asked Wonshik with a bemused look. 

 

He shook his head in embarrassment, not expecting the viscount to notice him.  “No! I was just thinking about something.”

 

“Care to enlighten me then?” the dirty blond asked, more so curious than anything else. 

 

Wonshik was never the one to use manners so he decided to be blunt. “I was wondering why you didn’t bring a slave with you.”

 

Hakyeon gasped dramatically at the words. He would have asked the same question to any baron, but he had been kissing Kris’s ass all day due to his slightly higher rank. 

 

Kris merely smiled, “I only have one slave and he was too sick to travel here.”

 

“You only have one slave!?” Hakyeon exclaimed in surprise, all courtesies tossed out the window, “How is that even possible!?” 

 

The viscount shrugged, “I had more a long time ago, but then I decided I only needed one in my life.”

 

Someone, namely Hakyeon, would have kept pressing the issue if Chanyeol hadn’t spoken up. 

 

“Speaking of slaves, didn’t you get a new pet, Hongbin?”

 

“Yeah,” Hongbin blushed, “But Kai really wanted to be here today. I don’t know why.”

 

Wonshik grinned at the explanation. So the slave that  _ liked _ Kyungsoo was named Kai. 

 

“I’m really happy I bought Hyuk, though. I can tell he was trained well...”

 

“Yeah, but did you fuck him?” Kris asked out of thin air. 

 

Hongbin hid his face from the group, “What!? Don’t ask me something like that!” 

 

Hakyeon laughed at the lord’s behavior before turning to Wonshik, “How about you and Ken?”

 

Wonshik’s expression instantly turned sour. 

 

“Oh! You don’t look very happy. Did he do something naughty?” Hakyeon asked with a smirk. 

 

“He challenged me” Wonshik explained.

 

“Did you have to punish him on day one?” Chanyeol wondered aloud. 

 

“No. I let him off easy.”

 

“Wait? You let him off easy? Since when have you ever let anyone off easy?” Hongbin asked.

 

Wonshik sighed in frustration, “He told me that he wasn’t trained in anything sexual and he wanted me to give him some time to adjust. I decided to agree because he’s cute and I didn’t want to force him after he said he was going to be willing in seven days.” 

 

“Awww, you’re such a softie,” Hakyeon cooed. 

 

“I have a better idea!” Chanyeol spoke with a wide smile. 

 

Wonshik raised a questioning brow, “What is it?”

 

“You want your little slave to pleasure you in seven days, right? Well, I’m guessing you both would appreciate it if he actually knew what he was doing.”

 

“Okay? So what are you suggesting?”

 

“Baekhyun,” Chanyeol said as he patted his slave’s head, “Specializes in sexual acts. He can teach Ken everything he knows, free of charge.”

 

Wonshik was stunned. He’d never heard of anyone lending their slave to another owner for teaching sessions. It was even odder since the offer was coming from Chanyeol, the lord that Wonshik was barely even acquainted with. 

 

Still, what he said was one hundred percent true. He wanted Ken to be the very definition of lust, and Chanyeol seemed positive that Baekhyun was the one to get him there. 

  
“Alright, I’m in.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So yeah... I don't know if you guys are happy about the direction I'm taking this story, but it's going to lead to some interesting and (later on) scary times. Lots of drama is on the way! Unfortunately, you'll have to wait a few chapters for the really fun stuff. 
> 
> As always, I love everyone that comments, reads, bookmarks, etc. Remember, I almost didn't even post this story and I definitely wasn't expecting to continue writing it.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Wonshik comes back with his guests. Ken is fed up with being a slave.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter isn't very good... sorry....
> 
> I rushed the editing process so there may be some mistakes too. ):
> 
> READ THE END NOTE!!!!!!!

Ken hid out in his room since his conversation with Gayoon and Bambam. He didn’t mean for things to get blown out of proportion. He was just upset and taking his frustrations out on them. It wasn’t a good excuse, but it made him feel a little better about acting like a dick. 

 

He had his own problems to worry about, lest he start wasting his time worrying about the other slaves in the household. He still couldn’t believe his current predicament. All of his time spent with the old woman at the slave house, preparing and training to become more of an object than a human being, and he still thought it was all a joke. How could  _ he _ of all people be chosen to live a life of eternal servitude?

 

His fingers rose to the collar around his neck, brushing against the soft fabric of it. He may have promised Wonshik that he would fall in line and submit himself fully to the other’s whims, but it was all a lie. He was just trying to buy himself time but now he was starting to wonder if living a life as a pet was better or worse than death. If he successfully escaped, there was the slightest of chances that he could live a fairly normal life as a peasant. If he was caught and executed than at least he would be  _ free _ . 

 

A soft knock on his door was enough to temporarily end his scheming. 

 

“Come in,” he said automatically. He doubted he would be reprimanded for his lack of manners because Wonshik didn’t seem like the type to knock before entering a room. 

 

The door opened with a creak, revealing the only slave that didn’t hate his guts. With Kyungsoo there, Wonshik was probably home too. 

 

“You need to be careful around here. When someone knocks, you open the door. We don’t have the authority to grant someone permission,” the small man warned. 

 

Jaehwan stood from where he was sitting on the edge of his bed. “I’ll keep that in mind.”

 

Kyungsoo glared at his sarcastic tone. “Dinner is ready.”

 

“How does this work? Is there a slave specific dining room for us or do we eat in the kitchen? I suppose a table would be too grand for the likes of us. Does Wonshik have dog bowls set for us instead?” Ken asked bitterly. 

 

“It seems you’ve overestimated our master’s cruelty. We eat with him at the actual dining hall.” After informing him of that he motions for Ken to follow him, which he does unenthusiastically. 

 

As they walked through the winding corridors of the estate, the two of them remained silent. Ken expected their muteness to last until they arrived at the dining hall, but he had a habit of assuming the wrong things. 

 

“Wonshik expects you to be on your best behavior,” Kyungsoo started, “We have guests.”

 

Ken raised a surprised eyebrow. “Really? And he wants  _ me _ there? I thought he’d be worried about me making a fool of him again.” He couldn’t help but snicker fondly at the memory of his mischief at the slave house. 

 

“You’re walking on eggshells, Ken.” 

 

Even though Ken was given a full tour of the mansion, he was too distracted to notice much of anything at the time. He felt a little bad for not paying attention. Still, he wondered how he had blocked out the room with the large windows framed with satin curtains, a golden chandelier hanging from the ceiling, and an ebony table stretching across the entirety of the space. The wooden legs of the table were carved with intricate designs of forestry and every single candle on the chandelier was lit. He wondered which slave was responsible for managing the task since it seemed difficult to manage what with how high the ceiling was. 

 

It was the most impressive room in the mansion and Ken was satisfied knowing that it wasn’t even close to matching the magnificence of the castle’s. All of the time put into designing the one room to show off Wonshik’s wealth was hilarious. Maybe the lords and ladies thought it was lovely but Ken wasn’t as blind.

 

Silver plates, bowls, and utensils were spread out on the table, displaying freshly cooked meat, soup, and vegetables. The food was probably cheap and only tolerable enough for a baron to survive on, but it did look awfully tasty. 

 

Ken tore his eyes away from the feast and the decorations to finally eye up the people in the room. Gayoon and Bambam were sitting next to each other, their eyes focused on their untouched dinner. At one end of the table was an unfamiliar man with dark hair and big ears. He was wearing a maroon vest with golden stripes, a puffy sleeved undershirt, and dress pants. Ken knew that the stranger was high ranked in society, though he couldn’t place what that rank might be from his clothes alone. Not all nobles cared about their sense of fashion. Ken had come across dukes that wore such simple clothes he would have taken them for well-off peasants. 

 

Sitting next to him was another new face. It was a small male with feathery brown hair, brown eyes, soft features, and milky white skin. He was wearing a loose fitting white shirt that was see through in quality. Tight leather leggings hugged his slim legs and his feet were left bare. Ken knew he was a slave but his mannerisms were shocking. His legs were crossed and his eyes were trained on the other man’s face. There was so much love and affection held in those droopy orbs that Ken couldn’t even begin to comprehend. 

 

Wonshik was at the head of the table. He was wearing an embroidered overcoat with a cravat at his collar. Ken noticed for the first time since meeting his master, that his ears were pierced. Gemstones lined the outsides of the cartilage, adding to his image of a wealthy nobleman. Ken thought he was a bit overdressed but then again, the master did have guests around. The brat would never pass on the opportunity to flaunt everything that he owned. 

 

Ken took a harsh intake of breath when he realized that Wonshik was staring right at him. The man patted the back of the chair nearest him and Ken realized that he was supposed to sit right next to him. He tried to hide his distaste as he took his seat next to Wonshik and Kyungsoo separated from him to sit across from Gayoon and Bambam in the middle of the long table. 

 

“May I introduce to you the baron Chanyeol,” Wonshik said in a formal tone that caught Ken off guard. “He will be staying with us for a week.” 

 

“Ah, so this is the one you told me so much about,” Chanyeol spoke with a glint in his eyes. “I never would have guessed he was your type. But then again, I never knew you had a type because of your self-proclaimed abstinence.”

 

Needless to say, Ken wasn’t expecting anyone to talk to Wonshik like that. The annoyed expression on Wonshik’s face was predictable enough, though. 

 

“Don’t look at me like that. I’m only teasing you. Hakyeon and Hongbin are just as picky. I’d like to see the slave Hongbin chose too.”

 

Wonshik offered a weak laugh at the words. “I’m not very good at reading people, sorry. I thought you were being serious.” He raised a fork to the meat on his plate and took a bite, in which the rest followed. It was custom for the master of the house to take the first bite. 

 

“Chanyeol’s never serious.” 

 

Everyone’s eyes lasered in on the slave next to Chanyeol. Not only had he spoken without permission, he had also failed to use the proper formalities. However, Chanyeol seemed unfazed as he laughed at his slave’s statement. The slave smiled in return and Ken was getting more and more confused by the second. 

 

When Chanyeol looked away from the brunet to notice the incredulous stares he was getting, he cleared his throat awkwardly. “Oh right. I guess I should have told you that my relationship with Baekhyun is different than most. I’m not as strict when it comes to his behavior. I like him for who he is and I hope that you can look past that when dealing with us.” Something in his tone was stern as if he was challenging Wonshik to insult his beliefs. 

 

Wonshik’s response was slow to form. “As long as the behavior doesn’t rub off on my pets, I could care less.” 

 

Ken’s grip on his fork tightened at the word  _ pet _ . 

 

“Gayoon, sweetie, could you pour me some more wine?” Wonshik asked a little too nicely. 

 

He must have been putting on some real fine act in front of Chanyeol since Ken knew that he would never talk like that otherwise. Masters didn’t need to ask their slaves to do anything, they told them to. With punishment ever looming around them, there was no point in being kind to a slave and Wonshik’s immaturity reaffirmed his point. 

 

“Yes, master,” Gayoon’s delicate voice sounded as she stood gingerly from her chair and performed the task asked of her. She also refilled Chanyeol’s glass. The slaves were skipped, but then they were only served water. 

 

Chanyeol took a sip of his wine before addressing Wonshik once again. “I know you’re going to love the things my Baekhyun can do for you. He was solely trained in the art of pleasure. Go on, tell them.” He nudged his slave to add to his chatter. 

 

The brunet straightened in his seat as he faced Wonshik with a determined look. “I was trained for ten years. I was supposed to be sold to a brothel but Chanyeol found me before that could happen. I won’t disappoint you.” 

 

After that, the slave turned to Ken with a somewhat flirtatious smile. “I won’t disappoint you either. By the end of the week, you’re going to feel like the most experienced man in town.” 

 

“What?” 

 

Kyungsoo glanced at Ken, worry evident in his gaze. He shouldn’t have said anything, but he was too confused to think of the consequences. Fortunately, Wonshik didn’t seem to mind the outburst. 

 

The younger male turned in his seat to give Ken a genuine smile. His eyes were bright with excitement and even though he had narrowly escaped a possible punishment, Ken felt a sense of dread wash over him.

 

“Baekhyun’s going to teach you how to properly pleasure me.” 

 

‘ _ Well, fuck. _ ’

 

\----------------

 

The dinner went smoothly after Wonshik addressed the elephant in the room. Chanyeol and Wonshik continued to discuss the coming days. Baekhyun would chime in here and there and the rest of the slaves stayed deathly quiet. Ken didn’t misbehave again, nor did he take another bite of his mystery meal. He was too busy forcing his mind into a meditative state so that he wouldn’t flip the table in outrage, which was physically impossible anyway. 

 

It shouldn’t have even mattered, though. Ken already decided that he wouldn’t be there come morning. When everyone else was sound asleep, he would make his move and flee the estate. The castle was a lost cause, but maybe he could get a job as a farmhand or try to pursue a career as an artist in another country. He would have to raise money to get across the border as well as stay under the radar of slave hunters, but he was positive that everything would work out. 

 

Ken laid on his bed, eyes focused on the ceiling as he patiently waited for the right time to venture outside his chambers. It had to have been a few hours since everyone retired to their bedrooms and Ken figured now was a better time than any. 

 

He was still wearing his day clothes, which carried a non-slave vibe that would be another help in his risky attempt at a better life. He went into his closet to throw on some slippers and a wool knit coat. It was summer and during the day it was humid and miserable, but at night it was frigid enough to ruin his escape with hypothermia. 

 

He took off one of his pillow sheets to use as a makeshift bag and threw some extra clothes inside of it and went to leave the room. He was halfway out when he remembered the collar around his neck. He unlatched the choker and set it on his bed. It was the parting gift the woman at the slave house had given him, his only belonging that Wonshik didn’t provide for him. It was ironic that the collar that symbolized his slavery was the thing he would miss the most, but he couldn’t carry it with him. It would raise a lot of questions if the collar was found on his person. 

 

Ken tiptoed through the unlit hallways, taking a lot longer to navigate the maze of a mansion than he had intended. Eventually, he was standing in the main hall with stairs on either side of him. The split second decision to snag one of the wine glasses from the dining hall was a smart move on his part. When he got into town, he could try to sell it. It wasn’t made of gold, but it was definitely an expensive item. 

 

Finally, he opened the front doors and stepped into the cold air of the outside world. The night breeze brushed against his cheeks, ruffling his hair, and Ken smiled. He estimated the front gates were a half mile away from the mansion itself and Ken didn’t have any time to waste as he dashed off. 

 

He ran for a while, barely sparing a glance at the stables on the way by, the lamps lighting the path, and the woods on either side of him. His stamina was horrible. He was never much of an athlete and even with his strong will to keep going, he had to slow to a walking pace. He panted heavily as he clutched onto his pillow case. 

 

His blood ran cold as an ominous howl echoed from somewhere in the woods to his right. Another howl pierced through the darkness from the woods to his left and Ken knew his hope was short lived. He didn’t know Wonshik owned hounds. He never even considered the idea. It was clever though, letting the beasts roam his gated property to stop intruders and slaves foolish enough to run away. 

 

The front gate was a distanced blur up ahead and Ken was already exhausted. There was no way he could outrun the hounds there, but the mansion was just as far away too. 

 

He had to try. 

 

With fear forcing a little more energy into his system, Ken started running toward the gate. His feet pounded against the path and he tripped over himself a few times, but he kept moving. Rustling from his right warned him that a hound was almost upon him. 

 

Sharp barks cut through the air like knives and Ken stumbled at the horrifying sound, being enough to accidentally dodge the dog that had tried to lunge at him. It was a broad hound with black fur and bared fangs. He didn’t look friendly and Ken realized that he didn’t want to die after all. He didn’t want to be ripped apart by the snapping jaws of a ferocious mutt. He wasn’t put on this earth to be dog food. 

 

Another hound bursted out of the woods to the left. He was further ahead on the path, making itself an obstacle in Ken’s way. He was so close to the gate, but he couldn’t make it past two dogs. He turned on his heel, sprinting ungracefully back to the mansion. He could hear the dogs behind him, their paws hitting the road like shotgun blasts. Hot breath tickled against the thin material of his pants and he knew at least one of them was almost close enough to sink it’s teeth into him. 

 

Ken panicked at the thought and turned into the woods. He couldn’t keep running anymore. He was way past his limit and he could feel his dinner threatening to rise into his throat. He was going to die, but he was going to put up a fight. 

 

He spun around to face the dogs who were now squaring him off, ready to leap at him but wary of what he might do. Their mouths were open and snapping menacingly, jowls dripping with saliva. 

 

They were closing the distance between them and Ken didn’t even know how he was planning to fight them off. They were huge, muscles rippling beneath their short fur, and Ken guessed that one bite would be enough to end his struggle before it ever began. 

 

One of the hounds let out a thundering bark as it jumped into the air, aiming itself at Ken. He tried to sidestep the attack but ended up ramming himself into a tree. He yelped in pain and fell to the ground. Both of the dogs saw their chance to strike and ran at him. 

 

Ken hid his face from them, eyes landing on a large stick laying right next to him. In a second, he had the stick in his hands and held it forward. The wood lodged it’s way inside both of the beast’s mouths, stuck back at the corners of their jaws. He held the stick horizontally in front of him, keeping the dogs at bay as they were too dumb to back up and charge again. Instead, they tried to bite at him but the stick was preventing them from getting close enough. It was also thick enough not to snap under the combined weight of both mutts pushing forward in a desperate attempt to reach Ken. 

 

The stick was thick and strong but it wouldn’t hold forever, and neither would he. His arms were shaking with having to hold back both of the hounds and his strength was weakening with every breath. The dogs were making progress as Ken found his elbows giving away, bending in his struggle. They were inches away from his face now. 

 

Their front legs lashed out blindly, and one claw raked down Ken’s chest, shredding through the wool coat but not reaching his flesh.

 

“Hey!” a deep voice called out and the dogs turned around, dislodging the stick from their mouths. 

 

Ken looked over their figures to see Kyungsoo standing on the path, hair sticking up at odd angles and wearing his nightshirt. He was waving a huge slab of raw steak around and the hounds decided that the meat would taste better than Ken. 

 

They turned to run at Kyungsoo, but the small slave threw the steak as far away as he could. The dogs went after the hunk of meat and Kyungsoo grabbed Ken by the wrist and dragged him to his feet. They ran back to the mansion, which wasn’t that far away anymore. 

 

Once they were safely inside the building, Kyungsoo shoved him against a wall. He winced at the force behind the action, his back and head colliding with the hard surface still aching from the similar treatment from Wonshik the night before. Kyungsoo was glaring up at him with so much intensity that Ken was sure he was about to murder him himself. Maybe, he should have let the dogs kill him because Kyungsoo’s wrath was starting to seem a hell of a lot worse. 

 

“What were you thinking!?” Kyungsoo hissed out. 

 

“I can’t stay here!” he whispered his defense. 

 

“The hell you can’t!?” 

 

“Why do you even care!?”

 

“What? Are you mad that I saved your sorry ass? Should I have let them tear your pretty face off?” 

 

Ken frowned at the words. Of course, he was glad that Kyungsoo helped him, but that didn’t mean that he was happy to be back inside of Wonshik’s home; Ken’s prison. 

 

“Don’t do something stupid like that again and put these back where they belong. You must have dropped this while you were cowering against a tree” Kyungsoo spat as he shoved the stuffed pillow case against Ken’s chest and began to leave. 

 

“Wait,” he called out, “Are you going to tell Wonshik?” 

 

Kyungsoo stopped to answer him. “If I was going to tell Wonshik, I wouldn’t have saved you in the first place. Just be thankful he’s a heavy sleeper or you’d be really  _ sorry _ .”

 

With that, the slave stormed off.

 

Ken stood in the main hall, frozen in shock. He had almost died a horribly painful death and he could have gotten Kyungsoo killed in the process as well. He kept screwing up again and again and soon it was going to cost him. 

 

Tears spilled from his eyes like water from a faucet and he slid down against the wall. He held his knees against his chest and sobbed quietly in the darkness. 

  
Why did the world hate him so much?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> SUPER IMPORTANT UPDATE!
> 
> I'm going away tomorrow (September 20th) and I won't be back for a long time. Specifically, I'm heading off to Texas for basic training/ tech school. I won't have any access to technology for a while and when I have the freedom to use my laptop, I probably won't have time to write or post chapters...
> 
> I will be able to read and reply to comments mid-November (when I graduate from basic). I will also add one chapter to every story I'm writing in December (when I get to come home for two weeks to celebrate the holidays). I'll be back for good in February and then I'll become an active author again.
> 
> Long story short: I'll be gone for a while. I'll update this story in December. I'll be active again in February and every month after that. I plan on finishing this story. I'm sorry that this temporary break is going to happen but my life comes before my hobbies. 
> 
> Thanks for your understanding. <3


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ken gets a surprise visitor.

“Rise and shine!” a deep, cheery voice rang through the room, forcing Ken out of his deep slumber. 

 

He jolted into a sitting position as his eyes lasered in on the person standing in the doorway. He had expected it to be Kyungsoo since he was the only slave that could tolerate him at the moment, but it wasn’t him. It was Wonshik. 

 

Wonshik, in all his lordly apparel, was standing in  _ his _ room. Ken’s eyes widened in horror. If Wonshik was there then he must have found out about his escape attempt.

 

He half rolled, half fell off of his mattress and onto the opposite side of the room from Wonshik. He needed to put a distance between them just in case Wonshik tried to do something drastic to him. 

 

“Aren’t you going to greet me?” Wonshik asked, seemingly amused with Ken at the moment. 

 

The brunet swallowed down his pride, as well as his fears in order to please his potentially angry master, “Good morning.”

 

Wonshik smiled at his compliance and started moving toward him. Ken didn’t know what to do. It seemed like Wonshik was actually in a good mood today, so maybe he didn’t know about last night after all. Kyungsoo  _ did _ say he wasn’t going to snitch. 

 

Ken was still sitting on the floor when Wonshik finally made his way over. He stretched a hand out to him and Ken flinched back, causing his master to scowl. 

 

“I was going to help you up.”

 

“I don’t need help.” 

 

Wonshik sighed in annoyance, withdrawing his hand to glare down at the brunet instead. “I thought we were making progress, Ken. You remember our deal, don’t you?”

 

How could he not remember their deal? It was the only thing protecting Ken’s virginity right now.

 

“Yes...” 

 

“You wanted time to warm up to the idea of being a sex slave, right? Well, I’m trying to be nice to you. I’m trying to help you through this. You could at least  _ try _ to be a little appreciative.” 

 

“What?” Ken was thrown for a loop. Why in the world was Wonshik doing something like this when he had made it very clear before that he didn’t give a damn about his transitioning from a person to an object. 

 

“It’s been awhile since we’ve seen each other. How are you doing? Are you getting along with my other pets?” Wonshik asked, completely changing the subject for whatever reason. 

 

“I’m doing fine.” 

 

Wonshik nodded his head in approval, “Good. That’s good.” 

 

Ken was still baffled by the actions of his master. Not too long ago, he was just a bratty noble with a bad case of narcissism. Now, he was acting like they were friends or something, which they weren’t. 

 

“By the way, you looked really cute when you were sleeping.” 

 

His face heated in a mixture of embarrassment and irritation. He wanted to spit a random insult at him, but he bit his tongue to keep quiet. Wonshik was such an annoyingly, idiotic, evil human being. 

 

As he got back to his feet, Ken did a quick once over of his room just to make sure everything looked normal. All of the items he had packed were back to their original home, thankfully. The last thing he needed was for Wonshik to get suspicious. 

 

When he glanced back to his master, he wasn’t looking at his face, but slightly lower. Confusion washed over him. What was he staring at? 

 

“Where’s your collar?” 

 

Ken’s hands flew to his neck, only to confirm the emptiness there. He made to turn away from his master so that he could retrieve the collar he must have put away in the drawer of his nightstand, but Wonshik’s fingers came out to grip his chin fiercely. 

 

Wonshik kept him still so that he could gaze into his eyes, searching for any hint of defiance. 

 

“I’m sorry. I took it off so I could sleep. I didn’t mean to-”

 

“It’s okay. Where is it now?” Wonshik interrupted his lie. 

 

Ken answered him easily, relieved when Wonshik released his powerful grip in favor of getting the collar from the nightstand. When he returned, his expression was soft, almost apologetic of his behavior only seconds ago. 

 

“Stay still. I’m not going to hurt you.” 

 

Wonshik’s hands rose to meet Ken’s bare neck, fingers caressing the space there as they clasped the collar back around it. Ken was so distracted by the small contact the appendages made with his sensitive skin that he couldn't move or brood over the same thoughts he’d been having ever since he was purchased. 

 

When Wonshik pulled away, he looked genuinely pleased. Ken didn’t know why he felt good about that and he immediately pushed the feeling aside. 

 

“Baekhyun should be waiting for you in my library. Do you know how to get there?”

 

“Yes,” he replied, recalling the tour he was given. That was one of the only places he seemed to remember, interestingly enough. Ken always hated reading. 

 

“Splendid! I’ll be busy today but I’ll make sure to visit you again tomorrow.” 

  
Ken decided not to say he could do without another visit from Wonshik. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am so sorry it took me months to update! That's not what I was aiming to do at all. I also apologize for uploading such a short chapter but I felt bad for making you guys wait and I didn't know how long it was going to take for me to add more to it so...
> 
> I promise that the next chapter will be longer! Thank you for reading and waiting patiently for me to return! :3
> 
> I'm going to try to add a chapter at least once a month.


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lesson Number One~

The instant Ken stepped into the library, Baekhyun was upon him. The brunet trapped him with his arms around the taller’s waist, pulling him close in an overly friendly greeting or maybe so he wouldn’t try to back out of their meeting before it could even begin.

 

He made a surprised yelp at the sudden ambush and Baekhyun giggled into his side, “I never pictured you to be the  _ vocal type _ .” 

 

Ken felt his body tense at the comment, not expecting them to tread into ‘dirty’ territory quite so soon. He fought the urge to push the other away, taking a great intake of breath to try to calm his frustration. 

 

The brunet was grinning at him from ear to ear, seemingly satisfied with Ken’s obvious annoyance. 

 

“Can we just get this over with?” 

 

“As you wish,” Baekhyun said, moving his hands to snatch Ken’s wrist and tug him deeper into the large room. 

 

They traversed through the maze of shelves until Baekhyun found a good spot to make camp. It was an isolated area, with no view of the entrance to the room or any windows. It put Ken on edge but he knew he shouldn’t be threatened by the smaller slave. 

 

Baekhyun sat suddenly, pulling Ken down with him so that he had no choice but to sit cross-legged on the carpeted floor, facing the brunet with unease. 

 

“Oh, don’t look at me like that. I promise I won’t bite,” Baekhyun said, then seeming to reconsider his words he later added, “Unless you want me to.” 

 

Ken was struck by the... joke? He hoped it was just a joke. He didn’t really know what the strange man had planned for him on how to teach pleasure strategies to use on Wonshik. They weren’t going to do anything physical, were they? He couldn’t imagine his ‘master’ wanting to share but then again, he didn’t really know Wonshik that well. Not that he wanted to know him better or anything. He was still too disgusted by the brat of a baron that he would soon be forced to have intimate relations with. 

 

God, he hoped he wouldn’t actually have to. Maybe Wonshik would just give up. Hopefully, he would just give up. 

 

“You have a big nose.” 

 

Ken’s eyes narrowed as he brought his attention back to Baekhyun, who was now staring intensely at his face. “Is that a bad thing?” he asked, voice laced with venom.

 

“No. It’s just an observation.” 

 

“...” 

 

Baekhyun leaned forward so that their faces were only an inch or two apart. Ken would normally be flustered by the close proximity but for some reason, he was more curious about what the slave was doing than to worry about putting a distance between them. 

 

“Actually, I think your nose quite suits you. Wonshik must like it too if he wants to fuck you and all that.” 

 

Ken ignored that last sentence but brought one of his hands to his nose, his fingers caressing the tip of it subconsciously. “I got it from my father. I was famous for it at the castle.” His heart swelled at the remembrance. Everyone there, servants and nobles alike had fawned over his looks. They had always told him he looked foreign, in a good way. 

 

He missed that. He didn’t even know what Wonshik saw in him that would have made him purchase a slave even after discovering that he was poorly trained. He wondered if Wonshik thought he was attractive, or if he only wanted to break him. 

 

“Your skin is really pale. It’s pretty.” 

 

“I was inside a lot as a child.” 

 

Baekhyun lifted a hand to the brunet’s jawline, tracing it with his delicate fingers. “You’re beautiful. I’m a little jealous, to be honest.” 

 

That sounded ridiculous to him. Baekhyun was extremely good looking himself. “What do you mean? I think you’re super cute! How could you be jealous!?” He felt a bit embarrassed at how loud his voice had got or why it even mattered to him that the slave feel attractive. 

 

The smaller male smiled at the compliment, “Thank you. I didn’t know you lived in a castle.”

 

“It wasn’t as amazing as you’re probably thinking. There’s so much gossip there and no one was ever trustworthy. Plus, it was so strict and I couldn’t even think for myself or do what I wanted.” Ken didn’t know why he was saying so much about himself but the way Baekhyun was looking at him, with so much interest and genuine curiosity, had him discarding his usual secretive habits. 

 

The fingers at his jaw drew a trail down until they stopped just above the collar around his neck. “It doesn’t sound too different from what you’re going through now, as a slave I mean.”

 

His eyes widened in sudden realization. It wasn’t that different at all, except for one major thing. 

 

“I wasn’t forced to pleasure anyone there.” 

 

Baekhyun withdrew his hand, his eyes peering deep into Ken’s orbs. It was as if he was looking straight into his soul. After a while his smile turned into an amused grin, “I never wanted to be with Chanyeol either. I used to put him through hell. But then one day, I got to see a side of him I never bothered to look at before. Everything changed after that.”

 

Frowning, he replied, “I doubt anything like that will happen with Wonshik and I.”

 

“And who’s fault is that?” 

 

Ken felt unwanted guilt creep inside at the question. He recalled the time that Wonshik had invited him to his study so that he could learn more about him. He had his reasons for being tight lipped, but still. He had never even thought about what Wonshik was like when no one was there to criticize his every action. 

 

“Maybe you should give him a chance before you write him off as an enemy. From what I can tell, he’s a pretty generous master.” 

 

“Can we stop talking about this? When are you going to start teaching me something?” 

 

Baekhyun laughed at the not so subtle subject change. “I’ve already started teaching you!”

 

“What?” 

 

“I can’t show you how to pleasure someone unless you’re willing to absorb the information and you’re not likely to do that when you clearly hate Wonshik. So today I decided to enlighten you to a thing called optimism.” 

 

He gave him an incredulous look, “Optimism? As if I could ever be optimistic about being owned by someone like him! I don’t like him and I definitely don’t want to be his fucking whore!” 

 

The smaller stood from the floor, stretching and smiling at him as if he hadn’t said anything at all. “I don’t know, Ken. I think we made a lot of progress today. Just wait, I bet you’ll be looking at Wonshik in a whole new light from now on.” 

 

Ken stood up with an unconvinced scowl, “I think this is a waste of time.”

 

Baekhyun snorted at his statement, “Well, at least you’re honest. I’m going to enjoy working with you, Ken.”

 

“So we’re seriously done for the day then? We’ve been here for maybe ten minutes...”

 

“What? Are you disappointed?” 

 

Ken wanted to punch the shit-eating grin off of his face. As if he wanted to be around the brunet a second longer!

 

“Haha! I’m just messing with you! Don’t look at me with that murderous glare of yours,” Baekhyun joked, albeit a little nervously. “It’s just that today’s Chanyeol’s birthday and I wanted to give him a nice  _ present _ , if ya know what I mean.” 

 

His face reddened at the explanation, hating the way the smaller male could nonchalantly talk about sex. “Yeah, okay then. See you around.” 

  
With that, he spun around on his heel and walked out of the library at a brisk pace. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was another 'short' chapter. My apologies. It was supposed to be way different but I decided to push back some stuff until the next lesson. It will make more sense and add to the whole slow burn this story has. Trust me. 
> 
> As always, thanks for reading and supporting me! I promise my next update will be longer and more interesting. 
> 
> We're finally hearing more about Ken's past though...


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Wonshik gets a POV again.

Wonshik stared at the clutter of paper at his desk, willing himself to stay awake and finish his work. Contrary to popular belief, he wasn’t a wealthy baron because of his heritage or a friendly relationship with the royal family. No, he had received his lordship through investing in multiple companies. Almost on a daily basis, he would have to analyze the numbers of profit, future plans, and employee reviews. Once a month he would also travel to a handful of companies and perform an internal inspection to make sure his money wasn’t being wasted and that he was also making a healthy income from them as well. 

 

Technically, he didn’t need to get as hands on as he was. Hongbin was also an investor and he very rarely dedicated his time to such activities. Hakyeon was the one who was supposed to be flooded with busywork as he was an actual  _ founder _ of a floral branch. Still, he felt that if he tried harder to get better results then he might earn a higher title. 

 

In truth, he had finished looking at all of the paperwork and checking to see if the numbers were correct. Now he was just giving it a second glance in case he had missed something after all, which was highly unlikely but still a possibility. 

 

He picked up a sheet from his desk, listing the sale history of a tea company in Thailand when a sudden knock at the door startled him from his intent. 

 

“Come in,” he croaked out. He winced at the sound of his voice, no doubt caused by the lack of use being holed up in his study for most of the day. 

 

The door swung open and he had half expected it to be Bambam or Gayoon since Kyungsoo was never so enthusiastic in the opening of doors and the likelihood of it being Ken was nonexistent. The man in the doorway was Chanyeol, however. At first, he was confused, almost forgetting that he was even a guest at his manor for the time being. Then he was also wondering why the lord was even there to begin with. 

 

He cocked his head expectantly, waiting for Chanyeol to explain his presence. 

 

The baron stepped all of the way into the room, pulling the door shut behind him with an unintentionally loud thud. He stared back at the door as if it wasn’t his fault it had happened, before turning back to Wonshik and offering him a lopsided smile. “What have you been up to all day? I haven’t seen you at all.” 

 

Wonshik gestured to the mess on his desk with a bored expression on his face. Chanyeol raised a brow in response, not seeming all that impressed. 

 

“You mean to tell me you’ve been working all day?” 

 

“Yes, actually.” 

 

Chanyeol huffed in exasperation as he strode over to the desk and seated himself at the edge of it, causing some paper to fly off and onto the floor below. 

 

Wonshik glared at him in annoyance wishing with all of his heart that Chanyeol would just go away so he could finish up and get some much-needed rest. 

 

“Had I known you were shut up in here all day I would have come sooner. Baekhyun was distracting me with birthday  _ entertainment _ , though,” Chanyeol apologized as if his absence was an issue. A smirk crossed his face as he added, “Who’s in charge of washing things around here? Our sheets are quite messy at the moment.” 

 

Ah, so Chanyeol had been busy screwing his slave all day. Usually, it would make him mad. His guests shouldn’t be so keen to mess his sheets on their first full day at his home. However, it was envy that crossed his mind, with the tiniest semblance of sadness. 

 

“I’ll ask Gayoon to take care of it for you,” he offered, “Is that all?” 

 

Chanyeol tapped his fingers against the desk as he went on, “Actually, I came here to talk to you about something else entirely. See, Baekhyun told me about his first lesson with Ken. It was very interesting. Don’t you want to know how it went?” 

 

Curiosity manifested inside of Wonshik at the mention of Ken. Since he could never really make any progress with him, he was more than a little excited to hear about his meeting with Baekhyun. “How was it?” 

 

Chanyeol grinned at the question, “Ken was a little more compliant than Baek had originally thought he’d be. Sounds like your pet is very cute and easily flustered. Though he’s got a smart mouth on him too. I think you’re well aware of that by now.” 

 

Wonshik didn’t realize he had started smiling at the description. He was happy that Ken was starting to make progress and he was craving more information. 

 

“Baek talked to him a little about you. He’s trying to warm him up to the idea of being intimate with you. Don’t look so excited yet. Okay, you realize this isn’t just about him giving into your desires. You need to try to get closer to him too,” Chanyeol expanded evenly. 

 

“He hates me.” 

 

“No, he’s afraid of you. You’re a stranger asking him to get you off with the promise of punishing him if he doesn’t.” 

 

Wonshik’s brows furrowed as he considered the explanation. It made sense. It made a lot of sense and really, Wonshik should have realized it sooner. Gayoon, Bambam, and Kyungsoo were friendly with him because Wonshik had been nice to them instantly. He and Ken had gotten off on the wrong foot, though and now it was starting to compromise their shot at having a halfway decent relationship. 

 

“What am I supposed to do?” Wonshik asked, feeling lost. 

 

Chanyeol sighed, “On my way here I noticed him on the balcony. Maybe, you should go talk to him.” 

 

Wonshik fidgeted nervously at the thought. He was so horrible at talking to Ken. It’s like he lost all control of himself when he was around the brunet, always fighting or raising his voice at the smallest of things. 

 

“You  _ need _ to talk to him,” Chanyeol urged again. 

 

“Okay fine.” 

 

\----

 

After the lesson with Baekhyun, Ken had absolutely nothing else to do all day. He spent some time in his room, mostly sleeping and thinking about how awful his life had become. Then he’d get bored again and wander aimlessly around the mansion. A few times he’d end up right outside of Baekhyun and Chanyeol’s room. He didn’t actually know if it was where they were staying, but if the slave’s dirty joke had been any real indication, then it most likely was. The scandalous sounds coming from the other side of the door always sent Ken scurrying away lest his innocent mind be tainted. 

 

He’d sneak into the kitchen whenever Kyungsoo wasn’t there. Apparently, the smaller male’s service to Wonshik was as his chef. Ken hadn’t attended any meals during the day in an effort to avoid everyone, especially Gayoon and Bambam. However, when he did tiptoe into the kitchen the three times that day, there was always a plate set at the counter as if someone was intentionally leaving it there for him. 

 

Whenever Ken’s boredom became almost too unbearable to survive through, he would contemplate going outside. He wasn’t going to try to escape again, but he wasn’t against the idea of getting some fresh air. However, the hounds that lurked outside were enough to keep him within the manor. 

 

He almost went to see Wonshik. 

 

He wanted to ask him if he would be allowed to go outside but then he decided that it would damage his pride too much as well as possibly upset the lord since he had said he was going to be busy the entire day. 

 

Ken was going to ask Kyungsoo if the dogs were even out during the day, but he felt so bad about the previous night that he kept his curiosity to himself. 

 

So after an extremely uneventful day of randomly strolling around his prison, Ken finally discovered something new and refreshing. There had been a gigantic velvet curtain hanging in one of the long hallways which had been completely out of Ken’s radar of interest. That was until Bambam showed up out of thin air and Ken, being quick on his toes and devilishly smart, hid behind the curtain. 

 

From what he could tell, his hiding spot worked and when he turned around he realized that the window behind the curtain was actually a glass double door leading to a balcony. 

 

Since he was on the second floor, Ken knew he’d be safe out there and so he didn’t even hesitate to open the doors and walk out into the evening air. The sun was lowering itself in the sky, shining on a beautiful horizon of warm pinks and oranges. The grass was swaying softly with the gentle breeze and the trees danced alongside. 

 

Ken padded over to the marble railing and rested his hands against its smooth surface. He inhaled deeply letting his eyes flutter shut as he basked in the sunlight. He could almost pretend he was away from everything, what with how quiet it was. He felt far away from the castle, the slave house, and the prison of a manor he was forced to call home. 

 

He didn’t know how long he had been out on the balcony, he had been so entranced by the sunset. He didn't even notice the curtains being opened behind him or the lordly guest walk past with mild interest. He especially didn’t notice the doors opening quietly and a certain someone walking up to his side, though a safe distance away. 

 

“It’s beautiful, isn’t it?” 

 

Ken nearly jumped out of his skin at the sound of Wonshik’s voice. His eyes bulged in fear and his heart was pounding furiously. Wonshik didn’t laugh, although it was obvious he wanted to.

 

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to startle you,” the master apologized lightheartedly. 

 

“I thought you were going to be too busy to see me again today?” Ken said, tossing all slave formalities to the side. 

 

To Ken’s surprise, Wonshik didn’t seem to mind. “Did you miss me?” he asked in a playful tone but spoke again before Ken had a chance to reply. “Nevermind. Don’t answer that. I don’t want you to have to lie to me.” 

 

Something was off about Wonshik. He kept shifting his weight from one foot to another, unable to stand still and if Ken had to guess, he’d think Wonshik was nervous. 

 

His initial fear was fading fast and Ken let himself relax back into his earlier position at the railing, though he kept his gaze on Wonshik. 

 

The younger seemed to catch onto his own fidgeting and leaned against the railing in an attempt to stay still. “Listen, Ken. I’m sorry for how I’ve been acting these past few days. I shouldn’t be so coarse with you when we’ve only just met.”

 

Ken continued to watch Wonshik with wary eyes, though the apology had caught him off guard. Surely, the lord was messing with him. It was impossible that a master would apologize to their slave. There was just no logical reason for it. 

 

“I can tell that you don’t like being so formal when dealing with me so I’ve come up with a compromise. When it’s just you and I together, you don’t need to follow your training. Just be yourself. I promise that there won’t be any punishment for you speaking your mind when it’s just the two of us. You only have to uphold to the normal standards when we’re around other nobles.” 

 

The slave’s eyes widened at the realization of what was being offered to him. He would actually have some small amount of freedom after all. Not much of it, granted, but at least he wouldn’t have to suck up to Wonshik anymore. 

 

What had brought on this sudden behavior from the lord? Why was he playing nice? 

 

“So now that that’s out of the way. What have you been up to?” Wonshik asked with a hopeful smile. 

 

He considered ignoring the question since he was just given permission to act how he pleased. Turning his head away from Wonshik and to the almost completely set sun now, he said, “Besides my lesson with Baekhyun and the occasional run ins with you? Absolutely nothing.” 

 

Silence was what immediately followed Ken’s response and he was starting to worry that he might have upset Wonshik somehow. He spared a glance his way, only to see the man’s wide-eyed speechless stare. 

 

“What’s wrong?” he asked, hating himself for sounding so worried. 

 

With a quick shake of his head, Wonshik answered, “Uh nothing. I just didn’t think you’d actually talk to me.” 

 

His face was getting warm. Why was his face getting warm!? Was he blushing!? One of Ken’s hands flew up to his face to feel his burning cheeks and he hurried to hide his face from Wonshik’s prying eyes. Yeah, he was embarrassed that he had said anything to Wonshik because it wasn’t like he wanted to and he definitely wasn’t worried about his stupid look of shock at his first willing words. 

 

He needed to stop blushing before Wonshik got the wrong idea and assumed he might  _ actually  _ like him or something. 

 

“How could you not have anything to do? Don’t Bambam and Gayoon keep you entertained? They love to tell stories and play games. Hell, sometimes they even get Kyungsoo to join in, mind you not willingly,” Wonshik went on as if Ken wasn’t having a mental breakdown right in front of him. 

 

Thank God for Wonshik’s obliviousness. 

 

“They hate me.” 

 

“Hate you? Why would they hate you?” 

 

Ken was relieved to feel the warmth of his face dissipating. “I said something and they got mad.” 

 

“I’ve never seen either of them angry before. How did you manage that? You’ve only been here a few days.” 

 

“I guess my social skills are a bit lacking...” 

 

Really, Ken was sure he’d be dead of a heart attack by the end of the week because Wonshik kept scaring him so easily. This time it was the abrupt burst of laughter that had Ken flinching noticeably back, nearly falling over the railing. 

 

“What’s so funny?” Ken spat, humiliated that he’d been startled again and also pissed the fuck off that he had been trying to be honest and friendly, only to be laughed at like a fool. 

 

Wonshik settled, wiping away tears in his eyes.  _ Fucking tears! _ “Your social skills are more than a bit lacking, Ken,” he said with a deep chuckle, “Sorry to break it to you.” 

 

“Your social skills suck ass too.” 

 

The lord smiled at him fondly as if he’d not been insulted but complimented instead. “Okay, so you’re bored. How about I take you off the estate tomorrow?” 

 

“What?” 

 

“I have some work to do a few markets over. Usually, I’d take Gayoon with me since there’s a decent dressmaker in the area, but how about I take you instead?” 

 

How was Ken supposed to say no to a trip into town? It was a better alternative to locking himself in his room all day, which was actually impossible since there wasn’t a lock. The only downside was that he’d have to go with Wonshik but maybe that didn’t need to be so bad. 

 

“Sure... I guess,” Ken said, trying to sound as disinterested as he possibly could. 

 

Wonshik gave him a knowing smirk and Ken instantly regretted his decision. 

  
Sort of...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> They're getting closer! OMG PROGRESS! YAY!
> 
> Thanks for reading, commenting, leaving kudos, bookmarking, subbing, screaming into a pillow, etc.   
> It really means a lot to me. :3


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ken and Wonshik head to the market.

Ken hesitated at the front doors of the manor, his fingers hovering just above one of the doorknobs. He couldn’t get past what had happened the night of his failed escape. The brutal image of jagged fangs snapping inches away from his face emerged so clearly in his mind it almost felt like he was still there. His heart thundered in his chest at the memory. What if the dogs were out there now? What if they went on a rampage the second they caught the scent of him. 

 

He realized it was a dumb thought brought on by pure paranoia. Obviously, if they were that vicious they wouldn’t be allowed outside at all hours of the day. Wonshik probably kept them in kennels if they posed a threat to others. 

 

That wasn’t the only reason behind his reluctance to open the doors, however. 

 

Wonshik was already outside, waiting for Ken to meet him. The tension between them wasn’t as thick as it had been the past few days but their difference in standings bothered him. Wonshik was still a master and Ken was still a slave. Even if they’d lessened their hostilities toward each other, Ken wasn’t about to give in to the twisted laws of their country. 

 

If he so chose, Wonshik could force himself upon Ken at any time and their difference in strength had already been learned. Ken wouldn’t be able to stop the baron and Wonshik had to know that just as well. 

 

Ken’s eyes fell shut as he took deep breaths to try and calm his nerves. 

 

Yes, the law said that a master could use their slaves however they deemed fit but that didn’t mean that Wonshik was going to rape him. At least, he wasn’t going to do it today. Even he knew that the baron had sacrificed some of his pride by apologizing to Ken last night and he didn’t do that just to abuse him the very next day. 

 

The nobleman might have acted like a prick before but Ken had gotten a glimpse of a different part of Wonshik. This new side to the lord was much more tolerable and if he continued the “charade”, Ken could potentially lower his guard around him. He didn’t like that fact but he  _ had _ caved a bit already. In just one night, he’d managed to have a halfway decent conversation with Wonshik as well as agree to spend the following day together. 

 

Ken felt both relieved and defeated by the change. 

 

With a troubled sigh, the brunet finally allowed himself to turn the knob and step outside. An arm snapped up to block the sudden rays of light from his eyes. It was late morning with the sun sitting high in the sky, the surrounding air warm and dry. Once his eyes adjusted to the undeniably bright sky, he noticed Wonshik standing beside a wagon a little ways away. 

 

With forced confidence, he made his way over to the baron, keeping his head high and his posture tall and intimidating--something he learned from his years at the castle. The lord appeared to be busy attaching the harnesses of two horses to said wagon, his back facing the approaching slave. He was dressed formally but his attire felt more simple than what Ken had grown used to. He momentarily wondered why but decided he didn’t quite care. 

 

With not much distance left between them, Ken stopped and awkwardly stood a few feet behind the man. Luckily, he didn’t spend too much time pondering over what to say because Wonshik noticed his presence soon enough. The man glanced back toward the manor and had to do a double-take at the abrupt sight of Ken. 

 

His hands fell from the harnesses, which were now safely fastened, as he turned to gaze upon his slave. He didn’t say anything right away, though. Wonshik seemed almost distressed as he stared at Ken like he was just as lost on how to talk to him. 

 

Finally, after much hesitation, Wonshik spoke in a soft voice, “You look nice.” 

 

Ken kicked the dirt at his feet and shrugged, “Thanks.” 

 

He was dressed in a loose fitting button up made of light pink satin, white pants, and thin sandals. He was also sporting a few lilac rings and of course, his collar. Truthfully, Ken was opposed to the entire outfit but Baekhyun had ambushed him and picked out his current attire for the outing. He had been very adamant about the whole thing, saying that it would show off Wonshik’s wealth in a modest way that any master would appreciate. Ken thought it was a just a lie to make him feel better about dressing like a girl. 

 

“Baekhyun picked it out,” he added as an afterthought. He didn’t want Wonshik to think he’d actually tried to look nice for the occasion. 

 

Wonshik nodded slowly, “That makes sense. It _ is _ a tad flashier than what you’ve been wearing so far.” 

 

“Why are we taking a wagon? Don’t you have a carriage?” 

 

“I do but a carriage is inconvenient for trips to the marketplace. The paths are uneven and there isn’t enough storage space should I decide to actually buy wares, which I intend to do since your coming.” 

 

Ken frowned, “I don’t want anything.” 

 

“You might change your mind,” Wonshik said with a patient smile, then he glanced at the horses and back, “Do you like horses?” 

 

Ken didn’t know if that was a sly way of asking him if he knew how to steer a horse-drawn wagon or not but he decided not to jump to conclusions so early in the day. His gaze shifted to the two animals and shrugged again, “Not really.” 

 

Wonshik’s brows raised in surprise, “Really!? I’ve never heard of anyone that disliked horses.” 

 

“They’re pretty and stuff,” Ken felt the odd need to defend himself, “But I’ve had bad experiences with them in the past. I had to learn how to ride them a long time ago but I was thrown off by one on my very first try.” 

 

“You learned to ride?” Wonshik asked, sounding entirely too perplexed for Ken’s liking. 

 

“Anyway, why do you ask?” 

 

“I was just curious. They’re pretty friendly and I thought that since you’re always bored inside... Well, I thought that if you wanted to take care of them in your free time you could.” 

 

Normally, he’d be outraged by the reminder that Ken was expected to work for Wonshik but really, the offer seemed genuine and thoughtful. “Doesn’t someone already take care of them?” 

 

“Well, yes. Bambam and Gayoon alternate days that they care for them as well as the other animals on the estate. However, they have many chores on the side so not much time is spent with these two,” Wonshik said with a sadness in his eyes, “I used to do it myself but I’ve been busier these days.” 

 

He didn’t know why he did it but Ken took a step closer to the horse nearest him and looked at it with more kindness and maybe even determination. “Alright.” 

 

“What?” 

 

“I don’t know how good I’ll be, but I’d like to try to care for them.” 

 

Ken held his gaze on the horse, lest he meet eyes with Wonshik who he knew was staring at him with an emotion he couldn’t bear to see. 

 

“Thank you.” 

 

\----------------

 

Their trip to the marketplace was quiet and uneventful, mostly because Ken was too perturbed with himself and Wonshik was too afraid to pry any more friendly words from the other. The smell of the market hit Ken before he saw it, the scent of human waste and smoke penetrating his unexpecting nostrils. 

 

Never once, had he seen or smelled a place quite like it before. 

 

Most of his days had been spent in the castle, which was clean and clouded with the aromas of expensive perfumes of the nobles and during his time traveling alongside the other slaves, they journeyed through uninhabited areas and were only put on display in fancy slave houses for the wealthiest of humans. Ken was thankful for it because the marketplace before him was utterly disgusting. 

 

His hands leaped to his face, covering his nose and mouth from the terrible smell. Wonshik eyed him suspiciously, “Are you okay?” 

 

“How can you stand it!?” Ken questioned, “It smells horrible!” 

 

Wonshik’s eyes widened at his words, “You’ve never been to a marketplace before?” 

 

Ken realized his reaction was anything but subtle and to not raise any red flags he tried his best to act unaffected by the smell. “I’m sorry. It’s just been so long since I’ve been to one. I’m not accustomed to the smell anymore.” 

 

Wonshik seemed to accept his explanation as their wagon rolled into the marketplace. It was huge, lined with homes doubling as shops, smaller stalls in the wide road, and bustling with peasants. Ken was both in awe and disgust at the sight before him. Sure, he was impressed by the wares here and there, ranging from food to jewelry and more, but there was also filth. Deep brown puddles molded their way into the dirt path, some of it mud but most of it something worse, and the peasants passing by were just as dirty and adorned in rag-like clothes. 

 

He never realized how bad the outside world really was. It made being Wonshik’s slave seem like a gift, though he knew the feeling was only temporary. 

 

“We’ll pull over here.” 

 

Ken noticed Wonshik was steering the wagon into an alley of sorts and felt worry wash over him. “Won’t someone steal the horses!?” 

 

Wonshik laughed, “Of course not. There are guards stationed around to protect the property of others for a price.” 

 

Ken didn’t think that sounded very reliable but he supposed that Wonshik had more experience than he did so he kept quiet about his concerns. 

 

Sure enough, once they were parked in the alleyway, a fully armored soldier of the realm appeared. Ken knew he was the real deal if not by his armor, by his shield and holstered sword. Wonshik spoke to him while Ken climbed down from his seat atop the wagon. He was careful not to step in any suspicious puddles and soon he was joined by Wonshik. 

 

“Did you already pay him?” 

 

Wonshik shook his head, “He won’t get anything until I return, otherwise he’d have no reason to stay here.” 

 

With that, the two of them began their trek through the town. Wonshik faced forward the entire time while Ken continued to observe their surroundings. Now that he was fully aware of how dirty the marketplace was he began to take more of an interest in the people instead. Peasants were everywhere but once in awhile, he’d come across a group of soldiers marching through the streets, probably to keep the peace. He’d yet to see a nobleman; however, some of the peasants working at the storefronts or shops were dressed in leather clothes or robes which were an improvement to the potato sacks most of the poor settled with. 

 

The majority of the stores were run outside the buildings or through a window of a home, but every now and then they’d come across a structure with wares inside only. The nicest building they’d come across so far was an inn but they had no reason to stop there. 

 

“Where are we going?” Ken whispered because he reminded himself to act the part of a slave in public. 

 

“I need to visit the healer here. I have business to discuss with him,” Wonshik answered flatly, “If you see anything you want, let me know and we can stop.” 

 

Ken narrowed his eyes at the offer. He didn’t see why he needed anything from the market since he already had more than enough at the manor. Plus, he’d probably scrutinize everyone’s wares and set someone off which wasn’t something he was keen on doing. 

 

As they ventured on, Ken finally caught sight of something that stood out to him, but it wasn’t something he wanted. 

 

As they rounded the corner of one building, a huge crowd of people caught his eye. They were swarmed around a long, wooden stage that had a foreign looking man standing atop it. At first, Ken didn’t know what was going on but then another foreigner tugged a woman onto the stage by the chain wrapped around her throat. 

 

His eyes widened as realization hit him. He was witnessing a slave auction. 

 

Ken’s feet halted in shock as he stared at the scene before him. Wonshik noticed him freeze and stopped as well, seeing what exactly it was that affected his slave in such a manner. 

 

“We should keep moving,” Wonshik suggested seriously but followed Ken nonetheless as he joined the crowd of onlookers. 

 

The woman in chains was completely naked in front of everyone and Ken felt bile rise in his throat. He and many others could tell she was pretty through the dirt and blood on her skin, but that didn’t change the horrifyingly disgusting nature of the auction itself. 

 

“Why is this happening?” he choked out. 

 

Wonshik didn’t look surprised by the people onstage, but he did appear agitated by it. “They steal the slaves from poor villages and bordering countries. The people here don’t see them as equals because of it.”

 

Even with the coldness in his voice, Ken was still bothered by Wonshik’s word choice. They weren’t stealing slaves, they were stealing human beings and forcing them into slavery. 

 

The woman was made to spin several times before the foreigners demanded an onslaught of bids. It didn’t take long for her to be sold to someone much closer to the platform. Ken’s hands clenched into fists at his sides as they led out another  _ slave _ , this time a little girl, just as exposed. 

 

Ken’s anger turned to fury in an instant.

 

“He’s beautiful.” 

 

Ken flinched at the sound of an unfamiliar voice too close for comfort. It belonged to a man older than Wonshik, wearing a violet robe decorated with multicolored gems. He immediately knew that the stranger was a nobleman, though his class was unidentifiable. 

 

Wonshik turned to face the man as well, confused by his presence, “Excuse me?” 

 

His eyes were focused on Ken as he repeated the same compliment then added, “He’s more beautiful than any of the slaves sold here. I think some lords would empty their pockets just to claim him as their own.” 

 

The brunet was internally seething at the nonsense the man was speaking and the amount of energy it took for him to mask it was proving more difficult by the second. Ken shifted his gaze to Wonshik to try and steady his emotions. 

 

He was surprised to see the anger reflected in Wonshik’s dark eyes. “Yes, I’m certainly lucky to have found him first.” 

 

“How much would it take for you to sell him?” 

 

Before Ken could react, Wonshik had grabbed the slave by the wrist and shoved past the nobleman, “He’s not for sale.” 

 

His voice was deep and raw with rage that Ken had yet to hear from Wonshik before. Sure, Wonshik had snapped at him in the past, but never like that. The fact that he’d been so infuriated by the man’s interest in Ken made the brunet’s stomach twist--a feeling that he’d never felt before and certainly couldn’t connect with anything bad. 

 

He dismissed the strange feeling entirely as he came back to reality and realized that he was stumbling over himself just to keep up with Wonshik dragging him through the town. 

 

Ken used his free hand to latch out and grip Wonshik’s wrist, effectively stopping the lord but causing Ken to fall to his knees. 

 

“Ken!? Are you alright!? I didn’t mean to drag you!” Wonshik asked as he crouched down, releasing his hold on Ken’s wrist in the process. 

 

“It’s okay,” he replied honestly. 

 

“I’m sorry I grabbed you. That must have startled you,” Wonshik continued to apologize in a softer, more delicate tone that sounded almost compassionate. 

 

“Thank you.” 

 

Wonshik was left speechless at the sudden thanks from the slave. 

 

“I’m glad you took me away from there. I- I don’t know what I was about to do.” 

 

After his confession, Ken felt immensely embarrassed and ashamed because once again he acted almost affectionately toward the man he was supposed to hate. Quickly, before Wonshik could say anything else, Ken rose to his feet, putting his internal defenses back into place. He had to stop opening up to the lord. 

 

Wonshik followed suit, realizing that their moment was over with the way Ken’s eyes shone with defiance--a look he was much more used to seeing than the vulnerable expression he’d witnessed mere seconds ago. 

 

“Let’s head back to the wagon.” 

 

“I thought you had business to deal with here?” 

 

Wonshik sighed, “My head’s not in the right place for that right now. Besides, you look like you could use some cooldown time as well... and maybe a bath.” 

 

Ken looked down and noticed that his white pants were soaked through with brown liquid from the knees down. He could feel the sticky dampness against his skin and nearly gagged at the sensation. 

 

He didn’t fight Wonshik on his decision to return to the manor, instead allowing himself to find comfort in his mind as they traveled back to their guarded wagon. A lot had occurred within the last couple hours and he didn’t know whether he should label everything as good or bad. 

 

The auction and the filthiness of the market were despicable but then there was Wonshik. 

 

Somehow, the baron had been nothing but kind to him, even saving him from a dangerous situation and what was worse, Ken was getting along better with him than any of the slaves at the estate. 

 

After a lifetime of hating nobility, Ken was starting to experience a crack in his ideology. From the way Wonshik had been treating him recently, he may be over going a similar change. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter. I wrote half of it earlier this week but decided to scrap it and start over. I've never done that before but I hope you appreciate the two of them sort of bonding. I also tried to include more information about the outside world and how other, less fortunate people live. 
> 
> Thanks for reading and supporting this story! I'll update again in August. :3


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A lesson in kissing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "Why did it take you so long to post this?" No comment.

Tucked away in the slave quarter of Wonshik’s manor, was a room with a rather extravagant bathing area. Most slaves washed in tubs so small they’d better suit children while the unlucky few found themselves in the face of a hose. However, it would seem Wonshik was much more accommodating. 

 

The bath was square shaped, forming a dip in the center, nearly taking up the entirety of the room. A fountain-like faucet sat in the middle but the pool was already filled, by which slave Ken wasn’t sure. 

 

A small smile spread his lips as he took in the sight, forgetting for a moment, where and what he was. It would be a lot easier to despise his situation if he wasn’t surrounded by such things and such...  _ people _ . 

 

Peeling off his clothes and letting them fall to his feet, the brunet bridged the gap between him and the pool. He was caught off guard by the temperature of the water, hot enough to turn his skin pink, but he didn’t hesitate to lower the rest of his body into its depths. He sat himself down and rested his head against the edge of the tub, finding it nearly effortless for him to relax.

 

Before yesterday, he doubted he could ever be so calm here but after their heart to heart and the time they spent in the market, Ken learned that he may have been too harsh a judge. Though Wonshik could be bratty, snobbish, and hot-headed, it seemed he had the ability to be understanding if not caring. Ken still disliked the man but he couldn’t deny he felt something stir within him when Wonshik had defended him in town...

 

Ken snorted at his own thought. The absolute ridiculousness of it was more than obvious to him. Sure, he was beginning to see the baron wasn’t a complete ass, but  _ that was it _ . He wasn’t about to spread his legs for him let alone obey him when it was just the two of them. He’d been granted some freedom and he’d be an idiot not to take advantage of it whenever possible. 

 

He just hoped this wasn’t a temporary compromise. 

 

“Knock knock, lover boy!” 

 

The brunet’s eyes snapped open in surprise, lasering in on the small male standing in the now open doorway. The slave’s chestnut hair was messier than usual and he was wearing an oversized shirt that cut off at his knees, emphasizing his soft features but making him look alluring at the same time. 

 

“Baekhyun!?” Ken sputtered, “What are you doing in here!?” 

 

He watched in relief as the smaller male closed the door behind him but he was still thrown off by him being there. 

 

“I wanted to hear all about your trip to the market! You guys got back sooner than I thought so spill the details. Tell me everything!” 

 

Ken slowly sat up in the bath as he worked to cover his skin from the other’s probing eyes, “Can’t this wait? I’m kinda busy right now.” 

 

“Fine. You can tell me later...” Baekhyun pouted, “But now’s the perfect time to commence your first  _ real _ lesson in the art of seduction!” His whole face brightened at the end of his exclamation, as though he lived and breathed for teaching Ken how to please someone. 

 

Ken frowned, making it obvious he wasn’t in the mood for such a thing. “Not right now.” 

 

“Why not?” 

 

“Because.” 

 

“Because why?” 

 

“Because I’m... indecent...” he felt his face heat up as he struggled to address the fact that he was stark naked, with nothing but the transparency of water to hide him. 

 

Baekhyun’s eyes lowered at his statement as if he’d just noticed the state the other was in. Ken would have guessed this realization would be enough to grant him his wish of being left alone but of course, he was wrong. Baekhyun met his gaze once again, seemingly unaffected. 

 

“You’re  _ only _ naked, Ken.” 

 

“What do you mean _ only _ !?” 

 

Baekhyun shook his head as though he was dealing with an ill-mannered child and crossed his arms. “I mean it’s not a big deal. We were all born with the same-ish parts so there’s nothing to be embarrassed about.”

 

Ken turned away from him, choosing instead to hide his shame in the water’s reflective surface. 

 

“In some parts of the world, people celebrate and admire the human body as it should be--bare,” Baekhyun continued as he took steps nearer the brunet, “Here we’re more comfortable in fabrics than we are our own skin. It makes us self-conscious and menial and it makes our natural beauty licentious or demeaning. I hate it...”

 

Passion melted from the slave’s mouth, clinging to his every word and Ken found himself mesmerized. Hearing the usually playful male talk about something so seriously and intimately was a thing to be relished. It felt like he was being told a deep secret.

 

When he spoke again, he could tell Baekhyun was kneeling at the edge of the tub, shadowing Ken’s form. 

 

“I want people to know how beautiful they are, Ken. I want you to know it too. Seeing you like this may feel abnormal to you but this is the way we were created to be. There’s perfection in your every imperfection and with it, you’re so  _ incredibly _ unique.”

 

There was a sense of longing in the other’s tone which caused Ken’s head to turn in the other’s direction. Their eyes locked and Ken’s breath caught in his throat seeing the raw emotion in Baekhyun’s eyes. 

 

“Please don’t hide yourself from me...” 

 

It might not have been entirely directed at Ken, but it made his heart swell nonetheless. They stared at each other for a while, both lost in their own thoughts before Ken decided to break the silence. 

 

“I didn’t know someone could feel so strongly about nudity.” 

 

The glassiness in the slave’s brown eyes cleared as Ken’s words registered. He gave a weak smile, “Um, yeah. Sorry about all of that. Obviously,  _ you _ would be uncomfortable about this stuff. I guess I’m kind of weird...” 

 

“It’s okay. Even if I don’t fully agree with you, it was nice listening to you talk about something you care so strongly about,” he tried to reassure him, “What got you so interested in  _ anatomy _ anyway?” 

 

“I used to be a courtesan.” 

 

_ Oh. _

 

“Before Chanyeol, I worked in a brothel. I guess seeing people naked every day made me appreciate the body types of everyone. Or maybe I was just trying to make myself feel better about it all...”

 

Ken was taken aback by the other’s confession. He had assumed Baekhyun was formally trained to be a pleasure slave but to learn he was actually a prostitute was something else. Whores generally started young too, so he had no idea how long Baekhyun had been stuck there. He could have even been born into the role. 

 

_ How is he able to be so cheerful all of the time? He must have gone through so mu- _

 

“Back to the case at hand!” Baekhyun chimed excitedly, “For today’s lesson, just follow my lead, okay? If you get more confident, you can try to experiment on me a little but don’t think about things too much. Just feel.” 

 

“What are you talking abou-!?!?”

 

Before Ken could finish the rest of his sentence, Baekhyun’s lips were upon his own. Instinctively, he shut his eyes and flinched but unfamiliar hands found a purchase on his bare shoulders, keeping him in place without the need of (too much) force. 

 

It was strange. 

 

He’d heard maids gush over the idea of kissing but to do it firsthand was somehow different than he imagined. He didn’t feel any sparks or lust even though he could tell Baekhyun was experienced in this department. Maybe it was because he wasn’t expecting to be kissed or maybe it was  _ who _ was kissing him that made him feel disappointed but he didn’t know for sure. 

 

Baekhyun stopped kissing him but Ken could feel him smiling, “Hyung, you should try kissing me back.” 

 

_ Right. _

 

This time when Baekhyun’s lips assaulted him, he was more or less ready. He tried to mirror the other’s movements, making an effort to appease the younger male. When the other’s teeth nipped at his lower lip, Ken wanted to draw back and accuse Baekhyun of being strange. He opened his mouth to do just that but instead, his tongue slipped its way inside.

 

“Ung!?!”

 

His muffled protest hardly garnered a response from Baekhyun. It seemed to only urge the fingers on Ken’s shoulders to rub soothing circles against his skin. He vaguely remembered Baekhyun telling him to “just feel” and he decided that maybe that would be the right thing to do. 

 

So he was completely clueless about how kissing worked but that didn’t mean he had to question everything Baekhyun did or overthink what they were up to. His thoughts were just getting in the way of whatever pleasure the intimate action possessed. 

 

Breathing through his nose, Ken urged his tongue to react; to join the other in a flirtatious dance of dominance. He was still wary but his movements seemed to spark something in Baekhyun, who began to step it up a notch. 

 

His hands ran up and down the length of Ken’s biceps as he deepened their kiss, moaning lowly into the other’s wet cavern. Respectively, Ken just let it all happen. He tried to keep up with the battle their tongues were having but his organ wasn’t used to moving so much. So after a while, he submitted to Baekhyun, allowing the other to lead as he’d originally intended. 

 

As soon as his tongue stilled, Baekhyun’s tugged it into his mouth, his smooth lips gently closing around the organ. Then he  _ sucked _ . 

 

It was the weirdest feeling Ken had ever experienced. 

 

Not only had it caught him by surprise, but the movement had actually felt... really good. Embarrassingly good and that was all fine. 

 

What wasn’t fine was the sound that came out of Ken’s mouth. 

 

His face heated up at the high-pitched whine that resonated from him, feeling humiliated, confused, shocked, and ashamed all at once. A smart person would have ended the kiss but Ken was in such a bout that he threw himself back in an effort to escape Baekhyun’s embrace.

 

Of course, Baekhyun’s hands were on his shoulders and of course, the smaller male would be pulled along with him. 

 

A splash sounded as Baekhyun fell into the bath, luckily managing not to land too close to Ken’s privates. When the brunet resurfaced he wasn’t mad, but surprisingly in a fit of giggles. 

 

“I’m so sorry!” Ken exclaimed anyway, feeling mortified, “I didn’t mean to! I was just surprised an-”

 

“It’s okay,” Baekhyun laughed it off, “Really, don’t beat yourself up over it.” 

 

Ken relaxed a little but he still gave the other a doubtful look. “Okay. So... how was I?” 

 

“How were you? Are you serious?” 

 

“Uh?”

 

“You were amazing!” Baekhyun spouted excitedly, “I mean I could tell you were nervous but you did really well. You’re no Chanyeol but you definitely have potential, Ken.” 

 

“Really?”

 

“Don’t be silly! Of course, you do!” 

 

Ken felt his cheeks heat up as he finally accepted the compliment. To know he wasn’t a horrible kisser gave him an odd sensation of pride. He’d never thought he’d care about something so trifle or why he would now of all times. 

 

“You’re smiling,” Baekhyun noted with a coy smirk. 

 

“So what?” he asked defensively. It wasn’t like smiling was a big deal. People were supposed to smile. 

 

Baekhyun’s smirk turned into something more genuine as he paddled closer to Ken. “You must not hate it here too much if you’re able to smile like that.” 

 

The slave brought his fingers to his lips with an unnerved scowl. His defiance was slipping out of control way too often. He hadn’t realized how out of hand it had gotten but he was actually starting to relax. How could he relax? He was being forced into a life of servitude and discrimination. There was nothing good about that! 

 

“Hey, don’t overthink it.” Baekhyun was suddenly in his personal space, close enough to steal another kiss. “There’s no crime in enjoying yourself. Finding a light in the darkness is a strength, not a weakness.” 

 

Ken didn’t see it that way but he bit back any argument. Baekhyun had been unusually empathetic today and Ken would rather not cause another rift in the house. He’d already chased the other slaves away as it was. 

 

“I didn’t fall for Chanyeol right away you know,” the brunet continued, “I was a feisty little shit and he had to  _ work _ to gain my favor.”

 

That was surprising to hear. 

 

“Adapting to this kind of life isn’t easy or fun but it eventually happens. Making friends with the others will help you with that too.” A pointed look was sent Ken’s way at that. 

 

“You know about that?” 

 

“Gayoon and Bambam are quite chatty! They told me everything.” 

 

Ken’s shoulders slumped at his words. He wondered what they’d said about him. Surely, they made him out to be an insensitive jerk. He was surprised Baekhyun was even hanging around him anymore. Although, he was only with Ken because of his master’s demands...

 

“They’re not that mad, Ken.” 

 

“I seriously doubt it,” he said with a scoff. 

 

Baekhyun backed away a little and flailed his arms in the air. “Honestly, you’re so dramatic! They think you’re mad at them and you think they’re mad at you! You guys just need to talk it out!” His delicate hands flew to his face and rubbed harshly at his forehead. “It’s like I’m back in the brothel, dealing with a bunch of catty bitches.” 

 

To his credit, Ken ignored the last bit of Baekhyun’s rant. “They don’t hate me?” 

 

The shorter slave threw his head over his shoulder, gazing at Ken with a disbelieving pout. “Just talk to them, please. It will do you some good and maybe, you won’t be so stressed out.”

 

“I’m not stressed out!”

 

“...”

 

“Fine. I’ll talk to them.” 

 

Baekhyun smiled once again and swam back over to Ken. “Great! Now, can you tell me about the market!? I’m dying to know!” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I gave you some information about Baekhyun, had Ken "learn" how to kiss, and now Wonshik's slaves might have a nice talk. Yay! Next chapter will also include some thoughts from Wonshik. I don't know when it will be up so please don't ask. Clearly, I can't promise you guys consistent updates. Meh. Hoped you liked this incredibly strange chapter anyway...
> 
> For those of you who are still reading this... you might be too patient lol. Thanks! <3


End file.
